More Than 160 Killed in Afghanistan Avalanches, Flooding in Pakistan

By Eric Leister, Meteorologist

February 26,2015; 10:42PM,EST

 

 

A slow-moving storm that brought historic snow to parts of Turkey before unleashing travel-disrupting snowfall in the higher elevations from Syria through Jordan and Israel last week brought deadly weather to Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The combination of the slow movement of this storm and moisture from the Arabian Sea led to rain and snow for Afghanistan, Pakistan and far northwest India.
This storm triggered numerous avalanches and areas of flooding across the region.
Avalanches have closed roads, knocked out power and killed more than 160 people across northern Afghanistan according to the Associated Press.
Fears remain high that the death toll will continue to rise as rescue efforts continue. The threat for additional avalanches will remain high over the next several days as the storm departs and warm air leads to an unstable snow pack across the region.

An Afghan teenager clean off the snow from his home roof top in a village close to an avalanche site in Panjshir province north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2015. (AP Photo/Massoud Hossaini)
Initially the storm brought primarily rain to central and eastern Afghanistan and Pakistan, as warm air ahead of the storm did not allow snow to fall outside of the highest mountains in the region. On the southern and eastern side of the storm, strong winds produced blowing dust before thunderstorms drenched the region.
However, rain changed to snow from west to east across Afghanistan as colder air built into the region. Milder air held strong across much of Pakistan with snow confined to the highest terrain in the northeast.
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This colder air mass caused rain to transition to snow in the higher elevations of western and central Afghanistan on Monday, while downpours fell in eastern Afghanistan. The colder air built into eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday as rain and thunderstorms turned into a heavy snow in Kabul.
Snow continued into Wednesday creating a slushy mess across the city with heavy accumulations just outside the city.
Warning: The video below may contain graphic language.