The iconic letters of the Hollywood sign received their first dusting of snow for more than 30 years this past weekend, as a rare winter storm swept across Southern California, leaving millions under blizzard, flood and wind warnings. With unprecedented precipitation, impassable roads and mass power outages, the usually sun-kissed state is still in recovery after this unexpected storm. 

Residents of the state capitol, Sacramento, are still under a 'do not travel' advisory as heavy rain and snow continue to deluge the area. San Franciscans saw temperatures dip down to 39F (4C), breaking a 132-year record low, and some areas of LA witnessed ‘thunder snow’, the rare and dangerous combination of lighting and blizzard conditions, the BBC reported.

The National Weather Service has proclaimed the weekend’s storm to be one of the strongest ever to hit southwest California, with some areas receiving more than 30 inches of snow, according to Sky News. In addition to Los Angeles and San Francisco, other regions of the state which experienced the rare snowfall included the Mojave Desert, the Santa Clarita Valley and the Inland Empire.  

Unequipped to handle snowy conditions, Californians faced what the National Weather Service described as “major impacts to travel and infrastructure”, with downed trees and power lines, substantial snowfall, and dangerous flooding which trapped cars across North Hollywood. Further travel challenges were caused by the partial closure of the West Coast’s main motorway, Interstate 5, which was largely unavailable south of the Oregon border due to heavy snowfall. 

Nearly a million homes were without power for at least some portion of the weekend, forcing Golden State residents to seek alternate means of heating as temperatures plummeted down the coastline. Though the storms have since cleared, thousands remain without power as obstructed roads and icy conditions continue to disrupt travel and complicate repairs to the grid.

Winter scenes can be magical – think chocolate-box cottages laced in a light dusting of snow, icicles shimmering in the sun and a powdery blanket of white across the lawn. However, when a snowstorm hits it can spell catastrophe. From burying houses and leaving people stranded to causing roofs to cave in, these jaw-dropping pictures show just how powerful those pretty snowflakes can be...

Positioned above the Arctic Circle, a 40-hour train journey away from Moscow, Vorkuta in Russia suffers from a permanent winter. Here, temperatures can drop as low as -23.7°C (-10.7°F) and the area sees 180 days of snowfall every year. Captured here by photographer Lana Sator, the unique location and climate of Vorkuta led to some hauntingly beautiful scenery.

The town was a labour camp for Gulag prisoners between 1930 and 1960. Thousands of prisoners were sent to Vorkuta and forced to mine for coal, before it grew into a thriving mining town. Due to the challenging climate, the USSR promised those who moved to the town housing and good salaries. Yet when the Soviet Union fell in the early 90s, mass unemployment led the town to become abandoned. Today, it's an icy graveyard that has been fully taken over by Mother Nature.

In early February 2021, the village of Braemar in the Scottish Highlands faced one of the coldest nights on record, when temperatures dropped to -23°C – that's -9.4°F! At the time it was reported that the UK hadn’t been that cold since 1995, and since 1955 for a February night. This freak wintry weather, including blizzards and wind speeds of around 40 mph (64.37 kph), caused the village Braemar to become submerged in snow for weeks.

According to the Met Office, the unusual weather was the result of two predominant weather patterns known as Sudden Stratospheric Warming. The first was bitter temperatures that swept in from Russia, and the latter was air coming from the Canary Islands. In London, parts of the Thames also froze over. From knee-high snow on the ground to deadly icicles hanging from roofs, this incredible weather event certainly was a sight to behold.

The UK wasn't the only place to be affected by bad weather in February 2021. Heavy snowfall hit Israel, Syria and Lebanon, during a freak winter storm. Lebanon usually has a very pleasant climate, with hot and dry summers and cool and rainy winters. January tends to be the coldest month there, with temperatures falling only as low as 5°C (41°F). Yet in 2021, the country became taken over by the white stuff.

The extreme weather caused some areas of Lebanon, and Syria, to be submerged in 15cm (6 inches) of snow, causing road closures and disrupting traffic. Towns such as Bcharre in Mount Lebanon, to the north of Beirut, were so overcome with snow that exam season had to be postponed for local students.

Fully submerged beneath the snow, this mountain cabin is barely visible. Pictured during the winter season, it sits in the subpolar area of Lapland in Sweden in the tiny village of Joesjö, a stone's throw from the Norwegian border.

With the warm glow of the cabin spilling out onto the snow and the spectacular green skies of the northern lights in the distance, it truly is a breathtaking scene. However, we can't imagine it'd be too easy to dig yourself out of that snowbank in the morning! 

The fishing port of Sisimut, Greenland's second-largest city, spends a large portion of the winter months covered in snow. The white stuff is often so deep it reaches up to the windows of the Arctic settlement's colourful array of cottages.

The residents of this remote town don't let the snowfall get in their way, though – here, winter is a time for exploration rather than hibernation. In fact, the town celebrates the snow with winter sports, from dog-sledging to cross-country skiing and snowmobiling. 

In March 2018, this snow cornice in the town of Finnsnes in Norway was in danger of collapsing on top of the house below it. With reports of avalanches across the whole of Norway, this homeowner's neighbour sent them this picture of their holiday home, prompting them to cancel their planned Easter holiday trip.

In 2012, over 15 feet of snow fell in parts of Europe. Albania declared a natural state of emergency in some of the worst-affected areas. Here, a man can be seen in the village of Kelmend clearing a path to his house. During the snowy period, many roofs collapsed under the weight of the snow, including that of a 300-year-old church. 

Meanwhile, in the village of Cârligu Mic, which sits north-east of Bucharest in Romania, firemen were captured trying to help clear the snow covering a cabin in the woods. In Romania in 2012, over 35,000 people were isolated in the east of the country without food or water and fifty communities were left without electricity. 

In 2006, southern Germany suffered heavy snowfall that caused extensive damage to houses across the area. Over 2,000 helpers and soldiers were mobilised in the region to help clear the snow and prevent further damage to homes and businesses. 

After many properties across the region lost the fight against Mother Nature and suffered collapsed roofs and walls, a man can be seen trying to clear the snow from the roof of his own property to stop it from meeting the same fate.

It isn't just properties that suffer in heavy snow. These homeowners in Massachusetts look on at a fallen tree outside their house. In 2002, Boston was inundated with snow, leaving close to 40,000 people without electricity. 

Nearby, in the rural northeast town of Scranton, a blizzard brought more than a foot of snow and high winds. It caused chaos, with flights cancelled across eight states and many schools forced to shut. Talk about an inhospitable place to live...

This brightly coloured property near Portland, Oregon managed to avoid a white-out thanks to its bright yellow exterior. Like much of the US, Portland experienced an unusually tough winter in 2016, with extreme snow causing large-scale destruction and even forcing people to abandon their cars during blizzards.

This cute festive scene was captured in Flagstaff, Arizona back in 2012 when the state experienced a major winter storm. High winds across the state and in parts of neighbouring New Mexico caused dangerous driving conditions, with two highways temporarily shut. Heavy snow blanketed the area for days.

The folk of Scandinavia are used to a blanket of white in winter. The town of Kiruna is in the northernmost region of Sweden in the province of Lapland, where snow cover generally lasts from late September to mid-May, but snowfall can occur year-round.

But the area doesn't go into hibernation in the winter – the snowfall is a huge boom to tourism in the little town. The famous Ice Hotel and the northern lights are major attractions, plus the annual Snow Festival, held over the last weekend of January, features a variety of snowsports.

Some homeowners and shop workers braved the icy elements and climbed onto roofs to shovel off the snow to reduce the danger of collapse and avalanches. In the worst-hit areas, 5,000 people, 200 snow ploughs and thousands of trucks were used to clear buildings, drives and roads.

The snow season in Japan is short but severe. Up in the mountains, the traditional guesthouses called ryokans are built from wood and kept constantly warm with portable gas heaters, open fires and in modern times, electric blankets tucked under low tables. Plus, the hot springs –  called onsen –  are well worth braving the snow for.

You don’t expect to encounter snow in India but areas at high altitude experience the extreme cold too. Here, icicles hang from this residence in Kashmir as children wander the snow-covered roads on the outskirts of Srinagar after the season's first snowfall.

This dilapidated old chateau in the hamlet of La Petite Pierre in north-eastern France withstood the heavy snowfall of 2010. The picturesque village is remote and open to the elements, perched on the side of a mountain.

A huge storm hit Hull, Massachusetts one weekend in late January 2005. The area was covered with ice that caused major damage to properties as it melted and refroze, turning local homes into dramatic ice sculptures.

Nearby in Scituate, a row of coastal homes was covered with a thick layer of snow and ice thanks to the same major winter storm passing through. If it wasn't so destructive we'd almost say it was beautiful!

Jämtland in central Sweden is sparsely populated with these traditional wooden houses that pepper the beautiful remote countryside. Sweden experiences snowfall between December and April, as well as darkness for much of those months too. When winter rolls around, locals hunker down in their wooden cabins with log burners and slow-cooked stews.

Christmas 2017 was a complete white-out for the town of Erie in Pennsylvania. Astounded residents posted pictures of the heavy snow on Twitter, as it continued to fall, and fall, and fall with no signs of letting up.

The UK also struggled with a deluge of snow back in March 2018. Pictured here, resident Jonas Ershov in the Cumbrian village of Nenthead is pictured trying to clear the mountain of snow outside his house after being stuck inside for six days. 

The residents of the mountain resort village of Melchsee-Frutt in Switzerland are no strangers to heavy snowfall. Renowned for its cross-country skiing and dramatic ski slopes, the area is frequently bombarded with thick layers of snow that often submerge houses in the area. This old farmhouse has been practically swallowed up – the footprints left across the roof show just how much snow has built up around the property.

It's not uncommon for temperatures in Melchsee-Frutt to plummet to an average of -5° (23F) in the winter months. These frosty conditions mean that when snow falls and settles in huge banks, it doesn't disappear for quite some time.

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