Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

September 7, 2008 1:02:14 AM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Rare Snowfall Hits Baghdad

Posted Jan 11, 08 1:05 PM CST in Science & Health,  World 

(Newser) – Light snow flurries fell on Baghdad today for the first time in about 100 years, AFP reports. Residents were by and large delighted: "Snow falling in Baghdad in such a magnificent scene was beyond my imagination," said one retiree. A local baker agreed: "This snow will bring pleasure to the people of Iraq. It's beautiful!"

A restaurant owner told the AP he'd never seen snow before—and neither had his 80-year-old mother. "I don't know whether or not it's a lesson from God," he said. Snowfall was also reported in western and central Iraq as temperatures plunged, and an Iraqi meteorologist speculated that the snow might be a side effect of global warming.

Sources: AFP, Associated Press, Reuters

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Plans to Stop Global Warming Straight From Sci-Fi Novels

    Sep 5, 08 3:39 PM CDT
    Plans to Stop Global Warming Straight From Sci-Fi Novels Scientists worry humans might not curb carbon emissions in time to save the planet from irreversible harm, and some have suggested a radical concept called geo-engineering, the Economist reports. Once the stuff of science fiction, geo-engineering would combat global warming by manipulating the environment. While promising, critics warn ecological consequences could be disastrous and might encourage nations to continue using fossil fuels. More »

  • New Way to Fight Global Warming: Wipe Your Feet

    Sep 3, 08 7:30 PM CDT
    New Way to Fight Global Warming: Wipe Your Feet Global warming could make it easier for non-native plants to take root on the Arctic's Svalbard archipelago, but one researcher is fighting the problem on the ground level, Der Spiegel reports. Chris Ware has set up shop at Longyearbyen’s airport, where he cleans arriving passengers' shoes. "Dirt almost always contains seeds," he said. "Sometimes it is one, sometimes it is 30 or 40." More »

  • Petraeus: US Could Be Out of Baghdad by July '09

    Sep 3, 08 12:46 PM CDT
    Petraeus: US Could Be Out of Baghdad by July '09 US troops could pull out of Baghdad by next summer if violence continues declining, David Petraeus told the Financial Times today. “Conditions permitting, yeah,” the top American general said when asked about a withdrawal by July 2009, adding that daily attacks in the capital have fallen dramatically enough that a handover to Iraqi troops was under consideration. More »

  • Vast Ice Shelf Tumbles Into Sea

    Sep 3, 08 8:54 AM CDT
    Vast Ice Shelf Tumbles Into Sea A 4,500-year-old, 19-square-mile Arctic ice shelf has broken off an island in Canada, Canada.com reports, making more than 75 square miles of Canadian ice shelves that have melted this summer. “These changes are irreversible under the present climate, and indicate that the environmental conditions that have kept these ice shelves in balance for thousands of years are no longer present,” said an expert.
    More »

  • Suicide Bomber Kills 25 at Iraqi Banquet

    Aug 25, 08 3:22 AM CDT
    At least 25 people were killed in Abu Ghraib yesterday when a suicide bomber attacked a banquet where relatives were celebrating the release of a sheikh's son from US detention. Women, children and men from a US-supported neighborhood patrol were believed to be among the victims."The smoke was everywhere mixed with blood. I went unconscious after that," said a guest. US helicopters were flown in to evacuate some 32 wounded.
    More »

An Iraqi waits for a bus as he stands under falling snow in Baghdad, 11 January 2008. Baghdadis walked up today on the scene of falling snow which is a rare event to be seen in the capital. (ALI YUSSEF/AFP/Getty...   (Getty Images)
An Iraqi man and his child enjoy light snow fall in eastern Baghdad, Iraq on Friday, Jan. 11, 2008. After weathering nearly five years of war, Baghdad residents thought they'd pretty much seen it all....   (Associated Press)
Iraqi men warm themselves by a fire in central Baghdad, Iraq on Friday, Jan. 11, 2008. After weathering nearly five years of war, Baghdad residents thought they'd pretty much seen it all. But Friday morning,...   (Associated Press)
An Iraqi man and his child enjoy light snow fall in eastern Baghdad, Iraq on Friday, Jan. 11, 2008. After weathering nearly five years of war, Baghdad residents thought they'd pretty much seen it all....   (Associated Press)
An Iraqi man wearing a heavy coat against the cold in central Baghdad, Iraq on Friday, Jan. 11, 2008. After weathering nearly five years of war, Baghdad residents thought they'd pretty much seen it all....   (Associated Press)
An Iraqi soldier warms himself against the winter chill in Najaf, 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of Baghdad, Iraq on Friday, Jan. 11, 2008. After weathering nearly five years of war, Baghdad residents...   (Associated Press)
An Iraqi man walks under the falling snow early in the morning 11 January 2008 in Baghdad. Baghdadis woke up today to the rare scene of falling snow in the Iraqi capital as a wave of cold hits the region....   (Getty Images)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 4)

Tags

Iraq  • climate change  • global warming  • Baghdad


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular


Other World Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »