tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post7190688076762093293..comments2024-03-28T07:09:59.093-08:00Comments on Deep Cold: Alaska Weather & Climate: Cold SnapRickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03946704894714514716noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post-2488300462190931832017-01-21T11:14:47.672-09:002017-01-21T11:14:47.672-09:00Thanks for the fill and link Brian. I enjoy your B...Thanks for the fill and link Brian. I enjoy your Blog and thanks for taking the time to inform the rest of us.<br /><br />Richard I guess the reason I (and Brian) ask about duration (maybe it's been different for large zones of Alaska?) is the implied evolution to the Arctic via changes to our climate and perhaps Polar Amplification.<br /><br />Perhaps the effects of zonal and meridional flow on temperature spells have changed if the above theories are as correct as they appear to be.<br /><br />GaryNL7Yhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15874712728971005352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post-56249124751645107502017-01-21T09:33:50.505-09:002017-01-21T09:33:50.505-09:00Gary, I did a write-up in 2015 on the length of wa...Gary, I did a write-up in 2015 on the length of warm/cold spells in Anchorage at 850 mb. What I found was that cold spells were marginally shorter, but warm spells were notable longer.<br /><br />http://us-climate.blogspot.com/2015/02/upper-level-pattern-length.htmlClimatologist49https://www.blogger.com/profile/04560505931210357679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post-6500759069254927182017-01-21T05:56:10.621-09:002017-01-21T05:56:10.621-09:00Great question, Gary. I don't recall looking ...Great question, Gary. I don't recall looking at this specifically before. I'll write more later, but yes there is evidence that the coldest spells have become shorter in recent decades.<br /><br />Here's one symptom of this: from 1930-1960, one in 5 winters saw a daily mean temperature below -50°F; and there were 35 such days in total. From 1981-2015, one in 5 winters saw a daily mean temperature of -45°F; but there were only 11 such days in total. It appears that the modern climate produces fewer days at the bottom end of the temperature distribution even after accounting for warming.<br />Richard Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08313902028896263276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4572286363399496963.post-61590320427279557882017-01-19T22:57:32.253-09:002017-01-19T22:57:32.253-09:00I wonder if the duration of cold snaps has been ab...I wonder if the duration of cold snaps has been abbreviated since...? Seems that may be the case as they used to linger longer. May have been already answered here.<br /><br />GaryNL7Yhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15874712728971005352noreply@blogger.com