It will be interesting to see if the temperature dips to -50°F at the airport before a modest warming trend ensues. The negative half-century mark has become quite rare in the official climate record from Fairbanks:
There's little doubt the decline in the most severe cold is attributable both to the local urban warming trend and the background (regional/global) warming trend. Other, much less developed interior sites also show a decline, but less overwhelming.
It's been a 3-light cold so far...vis ahead in the ice fog of 3 road lights. Not bad at -47F, when it gets to 1 it's cold and foggy. Time was vehicles were blamed for the ice fog, plus home heating (oil and wood), plus power plants. Modern cars are cleaner, same for homes (#1 stove oil required here; wood fires discouraged) and power plants have better filters in their bag room and improved methods of combustion (coal still has its byproducts). But, it's early and winter will have her way before it's over.
ReplyDeleteHere's a NWS take on cold in mid-winter Interior Alaska.
Delete"Even though higher temperatures are expected towards the end of the week, conditions are consistently being monitored as many portions
of the state are experiencing and will continue to experience extremely cold air masses this week. These air masses tend to be hardy and difficult to move without longer durations of sunlight,
a high sun angle, cloud cover, and strong winds."
And that's that.