No, Those Iguanas Aren't Dead

Europeans grapple with worst winter in years

(NEWSER) - While much of the US basks in unseasonably warmish weather, Europe continues to be locked in a deep freeze that's getting even colder. More than 100 people have died in Ukraine, Italy is suffering its coldest winter in 27 years, and conditions are so severe in Serbia that thousands have been stranded in -22 degree cold along with six feet of snow, reports the BBC . Food and medicines are being airlifted in, and helicopters are attempting to move the most fragile Serbians to safety. Authorities are also scrambling to get help to people in Greece, Spain, and Italy. Nearly 600 passengers were stranded this week for seven hours in an Italian mountain train when the brakes and electrical cables froze. Temperatures have plunged as low at -40 degrees in Russia—which is -52 with the wind chill factored in. More»

70% of Florida's crop is destroyed

(NEWSER) - The unusually cold winter is leaving a lasting effect on Florida: a severe tomato shortage that has forced restaurants and supermarkets to ration supplies. The year's crop of tomatoes have been diminished by 70%, pushing the price of a 25-pound box to $30—a huge increase over the usual $6.45. Relief for consumers may not come until April, when the new crop arrives. More»

Weather brr-acing from Plains to Florida

(NEWSER) - A large chunk of the US was in the deep freeze yesterday, with temperatures plunging below freezing to as low as -37 in Minnesota's hapless International Falls, the town's coldest day since 1911. Temperatures dove from the Plains, Midwest and Northeast to Florida, giving citrus growers the shivers. Jacksonville was 20 degrees colder than its average temperature this time of year. The cold snap is one of the nation's most widespread since 1985, reports the Wall Street Journal. More»

State of emergency as temperatures plummet

(NEWSER) - Florida shivered last night last night as a cold snap set new lows—35 degrees in Ft. Lauderdale—and threatened serious damage to crops. Farmers spent the night in the fields, spraying strawberries and oranges with water to create a protective glaze of ice. In Plant City, dubbed the winter strawberry capital of the world, temperatures hit freezing at midnight, and dropped to 28 by 2:30am. More»

(NEWSER) - Utter darkness at 5pm might fan a night owl's flame, but for some 10% to 20% of Americans, autumn's lessening light can trigger a bad case of SAD, or seasonal affective disorder. The "winter blues," caused by leftover mammalian genes that want you to hibernate, can be treated with light therapy, reports USA Today. More»