Thursday, October 17, 2013

Records Tumbling

The unseasonable warmth across Alaska is breaking records for the time of year in many locations, particularly in terms of daily minimum temperatures.  Here are a few locations at which the daily low temperatures have been the highest on record for so late in the autumn:

  • Anchorage, both on the 15th (47 °F) and 16th (46 °F)
  • McGrath (44 °F on the 16th)
  • Kotzebue (38 °F on the 16th)
  • Nome (42 °F on the 16th, tied for warmest so late in the season in the Weather Bureau/NWS era)

In Fairbanks, yesterday's low of 38 °F at the airport was the warmest so late in the season since 1938.  Yesterday's high of 53 °F was the warmest so late in the season since 1969.

Perhaps most impressive of all is Eagle, where yesterday's low temperature came in at 44 °F at the airport.  The COOP observation appears to not be available yet, but the previous record for warmest this late in the season at either site is 38 °F.  [5 pm update: the COOP low temperature was 41 °F]

Arctic Canada is getting in on the action too: Fort McPherson reported a temperature of 53 °F yesterday.  The previous warmest for this late was 50 °F, in a period of record (with some gaps) back to 1893.

Needless to say, warmth and rain are eating up the snow cover even in the lower elevations of the Brooks Range.  Here's this morning's FAA webcam photo from Anaktuvuk Pass, elevation 2171' and a remarkable 43 °F overnight:


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4 comments:

  1. NL7YOctober 17, 2013 at 12:20 PM

    Teleconnection patterns?
    http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/fxus07.html
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madden–Julian_oscillation
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pineapple_Express
    Gary

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    Replies
    1. Richard JamesOctober 17, 2013 at 1:40 PM

      I would cite the positive East Pacific - North Pacific teleconnection phase as nicely descriptive of what we have right now:

      http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/data/teledoc/ep_map.shtml
      http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/data/teledoc/ep_tmap.shtml
      http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/data/teledoc/ep.shtml

      Delete
    2. NL7YOctober 17, 2013 at 1:51 PM

      Yes, a very good connection. Wonder how long it will persist? The rain's pouring down in Fairbanks. I see the University contractors seeded some disturbed soil last week. Maybe they know the grass still has time to grow.

      Gary

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    3. NL7YOctober 17, 2013 at 1:56 PM

      And how's this for a shot of Pineapple Juice:

      http://www.arh.noaa.gov/arhdata/sat/goes/13290213000/3gaf.jpg

      Gary

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