Notices by Rick Thoman (alaskawx@alaskan.social)

Arctic-wide sea ice extent minimum was very likely reached earlier this week. Ties with last year for the 11th lowest minimum extent since 1979. Details in the latest from the Alaska and Arctic Climate newsletter. Available on Substack and Beehiiv. @Climatologist49 @ZLabe

https://alaskaclimate.substack.com/p/arctic-2026-sea-ice-minimum

https://alaska-arctic-climate.beehiiv.com/p/arctic-2026-sea-ice-minimum

#Arctic #SeaIce #Climate

Alaska precipitation totals in August showed a very sharp west-to-east difference relative to the 1991-2020 baseline normal. Western Interior excessively rainy with some places having three times normal. Meanwhile, Cook Inlet area, after a (near) record wet July had way below normal totals. Southeast also drier than normal. @Climatologist49 @DeniseGutzmer

#akwx #Climate #Summer2026

Wednesday morning update on the Mukluk fire near Tok, Alaska. @Climatologist49 @BakerRL75

https://akfireinfo.com/2026/08/19/the-mukluk-fire-in-tok-reaches-16-containment/

#akwx #Wildfire #Summer2026

High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Saturday. Warmer in Southcentral Alaska. Rain and cool again on much of the Bering Sea coast. Still hot central Yukon Territory eastward into the NWT. #akwx #weather

Update on the 2026 wildfire season around the Arctic in the latest post from the Alaska and Arctic Climate Newsletter. On Substack and Beehiiv. @Climatologist49 @anisian

https://alaskaclimate.substack.com/p/july-2026-arctic-wildfire-update

https://alaska-arctic-climate.beehiiv.com/p/july-2026-arctic-wildfire-update

#Arctic #akwx #Wildfire #Canada #Summer2026

Scattering of temperatures at or below freezing Saturday morning in frequently cool spots Interior Alaska. Most notably, low temp of 29F at Circle Hot Springs is the first time with a July temperature in the 20s since 2015. #akwx #Summer2026 @Climatologist49

Sea ice is very slowly melting the Chukchi Sea, but only slowly. Ice extent as ofJuly 18 well above last year and is the highest for the date since 1994(!) in NSIDC data. Sea ice melt in the Beaufort Sea has also been slow but is starting to pick up speed and is now slightly lower than last year at this time. @Climatologist49 @ZLabe

#akwx #Arctic #SeaIce

Sea ice extent is very high for this point in the season in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. The combined Chukchi and Beaufort Seas extent is the highest since 2000. Similar to 2024, the western Chukchi Sea has extensive ice on the north shore of the Chukotsk Peninsula and in there's hardly any open water yet in the Beaufort Sea. @Climatologist49 @ZLabe

#akwx #Arctic #SeaIce

With summer in full swing, the latest post from the Alaska and Arctic Climate newsletter looks at some basic climate trends for the Arctic during the warmest time of year. On Beehiiv and Substack. @Climatologist49

https://alaskaclimate.substack.com/p/arctic-summer-climate-trends-9a2

https://alaska-arctic-climate.beehiiv.com/p/arctic-summer-climate-trends-b46b

#Arctic #Climate #ClimateChange

Star Fire near Anderson, 8pm AKDT June 20th update:

https://akfireinfo.com/2026/06/20/go-evacuation-for-anderson-due-to-wildland-fire/

@BakerRL75

#akwx #Alaska #Wildfire

The complete loss of cold years in the Arctic since the 1980s is astounding. The last "blue" stripe was 1992, following the Pinatubo Volcano eruption in the summer of 1991. #ShowYourStripes #Climate #Arctic

By popular demand (okay, two people) Alaska and NW Canada winter (Dec-Feb) temperature and precipitation departures from the relevant 30-year baseline for the four “Super El Niño” events since 1970. There’s no real consistency, and with only four examples, this is not helpful as a guide for the upcoming winter. @Climatologist49

#akwx #Climate #ElNino

The Kopshesut Fire burning uncomfortably close to Ambler (Northwest Arctic Borogh, Inupait county). It’s been a slow start to the season in Alaska. at 400 acres this is largest fire to date. #akwx #Wildfire #Summer2026 #Alaska

https://akfireinfo.com/2026/06/04/uswfs-launches-attack-on-fire-threatening-ambler/

High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Tuesday. Continued rainy and chilly on the northern Gulf of Alaska coast. Mild in the Upper Yukon valley. Still staying below freezing on the northern North Slop coast. #akwx #weather

It was an amazingly cold March across much of Alaska. First look at the month is now posted in the Alaska and Arctic Climate newsletter. #akwx #Climate @Climatologist49

https://alaskaclimate.substack.com/p/record-setting-cold-march-in-alaska

Only about +10F, but bright and sunny, Fairbanks comes out in force Saturday for #NoKings. Seemed like significantly more people up and down Cushman Street than in April 2025. #Alaska

Juneau airport has set a new record high snowfall for March, with 63.8 inches (162.1cm) of snow through Sunday. Previous record was 62.7 inches (159.3cm) in 2007. Closing in on the all-time highest snowfall for the winter. #akwx #Climate #Snow @Climatologist49

Hello #Alaska:
If you're in the market for a new home on Mastodon on a smaller instance, alaskan.social is up and running. We're aiming for a welcoming home on Mastodon for/about Alaska & Alaskans. This is an actively moderated instance so n̶o̶ only one or two shenanigans.🙂
I used these instructions to transfer my account and it worked well.

https://fedi.tips/transferring-your-mastodon-account-to-another-server/

Dramatic differences in Arctic average temperatures this February compared to last February, with February 2026 much colder in many areas. And yes, La Niña in place during both winters. Graphics courtesy K. Haustein. #Arctic #Climate @Climatologist49

Now for something completely chilling: December 2025 average temperatures…

Chicken, AK: -35.5F (-37.5C)
Ft. Yukon, AK: -31.2F (-35.1C)
Dawson, YT: -30.8F (-34.9C)
Mayo, YT: -29.9F (-34.4C)
Tok, AK: -29.8F (-33.8C)
Northway, AK: -28.8F (-33.8C)
Beaver Creek, YT: -26.9F (-32.7C)
Eagle, AK: -26.6F (--32.6C)
Fairbanks, AK: -22.8F (-30.4C)
Whitehorse, YT: -15.0F (-26.1C)

@Climatologist49

#akwx #ytwx