Despite Holiday Cold Snap, 2019 Is ‘Virtually Certain’ To Be Warmest Year on Record for Alaska
KTOO.org | 12/27/2019 | Wesley Early
Much of Alaska had been frigid this holiday week as temperatures across the state dipped as low as minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s in stark contrast to a year with record high temperatures and major disruptions of traditionally solid sea ice across the Arctic.
Temperatures in the Northwest Arctic villages of Ambler and Buckland reached 42 degrees below zero on the morning of Dec. 26. The Interior village of Allakaket had the coldest temperature in the state on Dec. 26 at minus 56 degrees. Friday, Dec. 27, saw a low of minus 65 degrees in Manley Hot Springs near Eureka, one of the lowest temperatures for anywhere in Alaska in years.
“Chill and enjoy this Warmest Year on Record, OK?”
(Or should that be “Warmist Year on Record”?)
Rick Thoman, a climatologist with the International Arctic Research Center in Fairbanks, says though it’s a dramatic drop from this winter’s balmy start, the weather pattern is normal for this time of year.
Sleight of hand. . . .
The weather pattern (lower temperatures) is normal for this time of year because it’s — you know — winter.
The actual temperatures are abnormally low.
“We’ve just gotten so accustomed to these persistent runs of above normal weather that even somewhat below normal for more than a day or two really seems outstanding,” Thoman said.
In sum, somewhat-above-normal temperatures are significant; historically-below-normal temperatures are not. You silly people running around talking about below-normal temperatures. . . . Learn to cold!
Can’t be THAT cold, when was the last time Al Gore visited.
Al Gore is persona non grata in this state, as is Jimmy Carter.
You are doing what alarmists do and missing the point. It’s is an abnormially hot year in Alaska. The hottest I have seen in 37 years. (I think 1914 may have hotter) We just had a few days of kinda normal to slightly below normal weather.
Yes, there is a reason, no, it’s not global warming, but misrepresenting the facts hurts your cause.
A little confusing to non-native Alaskans.
You and the article appear both seem to concede that:
“much of Alaska had been frigid this holiday week as temperatures across the state dipped as low as minus 60 degrees Fahrenheit.”
It doesn’t seem like there would be any news story, or any headline, if this were “normal.”
This is — per the article — “somewhat below normal” —
per you — “kinda normal to slightly below normal.”
Yet the article goes on to say that:
“a low of minus 65 degrees” is “one of the lowest temperatures for anywhere in Alaska in years.”
So far, I don’t think I have misrepresented the facts.
So how cold is it normally in December?
It’s the downplaying of this that I found odd.
—
Now, I concede your main point, that I am not looking at the whole year 2019, only focusing on this cold snap, for humor’s sake. But I wonder if it’s slightly lower than normal.
“In years” is key also, because the last several have been very warm. When I lived in Fairbanks in the 90s to early 2000s, -40 to -80 would be normal lows and we normally scheduled Christmas breaks to coincide with the coldest temperatures. the two villages sited are above the arctic circle as well. Fairbanks is just below it.
I think the article is meant to showcase the suddenness of the change. My house went from 30 to -14 to 35 over the cold snap.
If anything, I would say the article should mention that the cold snap illustrates how the recent warm years are not a global phenomena, but the result of a high pressure pocket shifting the jet stream so that arctic air from the north pole is bypassing Alaska and hitting the Midlands instead. And of course, much ado has been made of Anchorage hitting record highs this summer, but ignoring highs from all over the state which predate the city of Anchorage.
“-40 to -80 would be normal lows”
{Whistles in a surprised tone}
Wow!
So, have electric vehicles had much success there?
Personally speaking I don’t know anyone who owns one of those.
Karen’s summation is correct. I worked at the USAF site located next to the interior town of Galena for 14 years (1994-2008). The coldest I ever saw it get to was -56 degrees, not counting the chill factor. Yes, with the chill factor figured in it can get even colder. The heat we had in Anchorage and the south central part of Alaska this past summer was the sort of weather the interior normally experiences. Of course the media had to make a big deal about it but 90 deg is not all that unusual in the interior in the summer.
Quite the temperature swings! Should we be worried about Bipolar Bears?
Depends on the quality of your meds I suppose.