Snow, Snowy Owls, and Lack of Snow: What's Ruining Our Cities This Week

It's been an abnormally algid and black winter anniversary for just about everyone—except the host city-limits for the Winter Olympics. It's a rather arctic blink at what's Ruining Our Cities.

Two inches of snow broke a lot of of the South

You've apparent the Walking Dead references, now apprehend the assay of how a baby winter storm froze an absolute region, meteorologically and logistically. Everyone's quick to point the accusation somewhere. It's because Atlanta's assorted borough governments can't plan together. It's because Southerners can't drive in the snow. It's because of a abridgement of busline infrastructure. Meanwhile, the civic bouncer is still towing alone cars from bounded highways. Oh, and rain is anticipation for the weekend. [Gizmodo, The Atlantic, Politico, CNN]

Snowy owls are ruining runways

No one seems acquisitive to vacation in the Polar Vortex that's arresting the nation, but some absurd visitors accept been absorption to our record-breaking temperatures: Albino owls, rarely apparent in the lower 48, accept been spotted as far south as Florida. Unfortunately, our Arctic Circle accompany haven't acclimated to our snow-covered cities; one was hit by a bus in D.C. this anniversary (he's okay). Now the owls accept fabricated themselves at home at bounded airports because the runways attending like arctic tundra, but they're acutely alarming to planes. Three albino owls were in fact attempt at New York's JFK airport—although they're aggravating to alarm them abroad with fireworks now, instead. [New York Times]

Not abundant snow is ruining Sochi

Winter Olympics host city-limits Sochi, Russia, is bedeviled with problems just a anniversary from the alpha of the games: Unfinished buildings, a ballooning budget, and now—no snow. Olympic acclimation board arch Dmitry Chernyshenko is authoritative an address to a college power: Altai shamans. The Siberian airy guides will be administering a appropriate commemoration to accompany winter acclimate for the games. But, if that doesn't work, they accept a backup: Over 500 bogus snow machines are getting supplied with baptize from two counterfeit lakes, and organizers accept even been stockpiling snow in air-conditioned warehouses. [Gizmodo]

Top image: AP Photo/David Tulis

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