One of the strongest La Nina events in recent times may be the cause of the record-breaking floods in Australia. In the image below, you can see the city of Rockhampton, Queensland looking like an island. Highways, the airport, and all of the surrounding area are covered with flood waters. The cause was a slow, steady, and heavy rain that lasted for days. The Fitzroy River banks flooded on January 9, 2011.

Rockhampton is one of many towns suffering with the same flooding problems. La Nina events typically bring heavy rain seasons to Australia. Yet this La Nina is the strongest in more than 50 years. Though I have heard conflicting reports, NBC Nightly News reports 11 people have died and more than 80 remain missing.

The floods are not only slow-onset, but flash flooding videos can be found on the internet with a simple search for "Australia floods". Many of the videos show cars being rapidly washed away by the water. You can also get the Australia weather reports to find the latest precipitation rates.

I am about to present you with a really interesting fact...

A massive snowstorm battered the southern United States this week. The result is a national snow depth map with most every state having at least a dusting of snow. That's right, all but Florida has at least some snow on the ground. Even Hawaii is counted in this statistical analysis. There is currently snow atop Mauna Kea. The National Weather Service reports that 69.4% of the contiguous United States has a blanket of snow on the ground.

The blizzard-like conditions in the south are headed towards the northeast. More than two feet of snow are expected in many regions, including the already battered New York City. This nor'easter is producing large amounts of lake effect snow.

I find it very interesting to see palm trees and a snowman together in the same photo. This week, Las Vegas had a "snow storm", of sorts. A dusting of snow fell on the area, including at the Red Rock National Conservation Area. Snow is not completely unheard of in Vegas. Two years ago, several inches were dumped on the main thruway, leaving the lights of the casinos covered with a blanket of snow.

I also added this unique little guy to my collection "World's Ugliest Snowmen". Check it out and vote for your favorite.

Looking for a fun activity for students as they return to the classroom from winter break? An online weather game from the National Weather Service allows users to put together an online weather puzzle. You can choose increasingly complex arrangements for the puzzles. I found them fun and refreshing to complete. Try it yourself now at the Jetstream site of the NWS.

A series of winter tornadoes made their way through the southern states on December 31, 2010. The storms killed seven people according to msnbc.com. Damages were caused by a squall line of thunderstorms that made its way through several states. The squall line made the formation of the tornadoes possible, regardless of the colder weather. Winter tornadoes are not uncommon. An examples is the Super Tuesday Tornadoes of 2008. This storm system killed at least 52 people. Get more specifics on the storm, such as specific storm paths and EF Scale ratings, at the National Weather Service, St. Louis Office.

Thousands of travelers found themselves stranded at all three New York airports as a blizzard-like Nor'easter pounded the area. High winds, heavy snow, and huge snowdrifts crippled many locations in the northeastern United States this week. Locations from Maryland to Maine got up to a foot of snow (more in some locations) as the storm hung over the east like a true winter blizzard. Even Alabama and Georgia got snow - a rare occurrence!

Putting on a new coat, hat, boots, and mittens after the holiday season is through is a deeply guarded tradition for many. Yet many sledding accidents occur each year. The Today Show chronicled the risks of sledding in an excellent video presentation. In the video, it is shown than an average of 21,000 kids are injured each year while sled-riding.

Today Show: NBC's John Yang reports: The Perils of Sledding

Head Injuries and Sledding: Video from the Today Show

White Christmas statistics, for those that missed them, are posted! You can find out if your city has a chance of snow over the holidays. Currently, several states are expected to get snowfall for Christmas Eve Day, December 24, 2010. States include:

• Washington
• Oregon
• Idaho
• Colorado
• California
• Utah
• Montana
• Pennsylvania
• Ohio
• West Virginia
• Maryland
• Michigan
• Indiana
• Wisconsin
• Illinois
• South Dakota
• Kansas
• Nebraska
• Kentucky
• Virginia
• Missouri
• Iowa
• Tennessee

Keep in mind that these are statistics for fresh snow and not snow already on the ground. For more information, visit the site of your local National Weather Service Office.

I couldn't help but post this funny weather photo of a dog urinating on a giant snowman. It seems even the dog does not like this snowman! What do you think? Vote for the ugliest snowman after viewing the Ugly Snowman Photo Gallery.

The weight of more than 20 inches of snow from a blizzard that swept through the Midwest caused damage to the Minnesota Viking stadium. In the early hours of December 12, 2010, the inflatable roof of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Mall of America Stadium succumbed to the weight of the snow. The New York Giants and the Minnesota Vikings game was postponed until tonight, Monday. The game will be played in Detroit's Ford Field.