What a difference a week makes. Interior Alaska temperatures quickly dropped off from a high temperature of 51°F last Saturday, and thermometers marched steadily down through the week, with each day colder than the last until today. Yesterday was remarkably cold in some spots; here's a round-up of low temperatures yesterday morning (click to enlarge).
The -11°F (actually -12°F) at Smith Lake on the UAF campus is quite impressive for the date, although the sensor is in a serious cold spot. Fairbanks airport only made it down to +3°F.
Here's a look at the seasonal plunge over the last 3 weeks as registered at the Smith Lake site.
The Salcha RAWS measured -9F, and not surprisingly the river there is already iced up. Here's a beautiful photo from this morning, courtesy of Twitter user NateoftheNorth. You really should click to enlarge this one.
Despite the cold, measurable snow still hasn't arrived in Fairbanks, with just a trace reported on Wednesday and Thursday. It's interesting to consider the coldest conditions that have ever occurred prior to measurable snow: back in 1941, the temperature dropped to -6°F on October 14, and snow wasn't measured until 4 days later. This year's +3°F ties with 1969 for second coldest prior to having snow on the ground.
If we look at accumulated cold as measured by total freezing degree days, then this year is so far in 3rd place for cold prior to any snowpack. 2016 also had a decent freeze prior to the October 20 first snowfall, but most years have little or no freeze-up prior to snow; the median FDDs is zero.
First: What a difference a day makes...Dinah Washington 1959. Twenty-four little hours.
ReplyDeleteI drive by that area most days and the widows on the car or truck rarely fail to condense inside moisture in winter. It is a cold spot with typical cold.
Gary
I might add...Solar cycle 19 - the greatest in radio history - supported propagation in 1959 around the world. Therefore the music heard via small radios.
ReplyDeleteGary
Quite a song, Gary. Can you believe I'm not sure I've heard it before, so thanks.
DeleteAnchorage has been on a near-normal weather streak since about mid-Dec. 2019. Our first snowfall for winter 2020-2021 arrived "right on time," just two days later than the average. Unlike much of the rest of the state Southcentral hasn't been making the news with breaking records. Yet, given the previous five years of climate anomalies in Southcentral, I'm finding the "near normal" streak to be noteworthy. I'm assuming a colder La Niña forecast will keep Anchorage trending near normal for several more months to come.
ReplyDeleteYes, sustained near or even below normal will feel pretty chilly to many.
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