STORM2K

Heat north of the Arctic Circle, you bet!

SXAK79 PAFG 130930
RERAFG

RECORD EVENT REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FAIRBANKS AK
130 AM ADT SUN JUL 13 2003

...NEW ALL TIME HIGH TEMPERATURE RECORD AT SAVOONGA...

LATE ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON A FRESH SOUTHWEST BREEZE SET IN OVER
SAINT LAWRENCE ISLAND...IN THE NORTHERN BERING SEA. AT THE VILLAGE
OF SAVOONGA A SOUTHWEST WIND IS OFFSHORE. COMBINED WITH CLEAR
SKIES AND SUNSHINE THIS BROUGHT THE TEMPERATURE THERE UP TO
A REMARKABLE 72 DEGREES AT 6 PM AND 7 PM. THE WARMEST TEMPERATURES
PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT SAVOONGA NEVER CLIMBED BEYOND THE MID 60S...
SO THIS NEW RECORD LOOKS LIKE ONE MADE TO LAST A LONG TIME.

THE WARM AIR OVER THE NORTHERN BERING SEA ON SATURDAY HAD BEEN
FLOWING OUT OF SIBERIA...NORMALLY CONSIDERED A CHILLY PLACE
BECAUSE OF ITS FRIGID WINTERS...WHICH ARE THE COLDEST IN THE
NORTHERN HEMISPHERE. SUMMERS THERE CAN BE VERY WARM HOWEVER...AS
HAS BEEN THE CASE RECENTLY.

THE WARMTH ON SAINT LAWRENCE ISLAND ON SATURDAY WAS IN GREAT
CONTRAST TO THE CHILLY WEATHER DEVELOPING OVER THE ARCTIC REGION OF
ALASKA. AT BARROW...TEMPERATURES FELL TO THE MID 30S ON SATURDAY
MORNING AND STAYED THERE ALL DAY.

THE CAUSE OF THIS GREAT CONTRAST IS A STRONG WEATHER FRONT...
STRETCHING EAST TO WEST OVER THE ARCTIC CIRCLE IN ALASKA WEST TO
SIBERIA. AS THIS FRONT MOVES SOUTH OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS...AN
OUTBREAK OF MUCH COOLER WEATHER IS EXPECTED NEARLY EVERYWHERE IN
NORTHERN ALASKA...ESPECIALLY IN THE ARCTIC. SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL
IS EXPECTED ON THE NORTH SLOPES OF THE BROOKS RANGE ON MONDAY.

AND TEMPERATURES AT SAVOONGA WILL BE DROPPING TOWARD 40 DEGREES
ON MONDAY EVENING.

the all time record high for the entire State of Alaska is... 100F.

Steve

Aslkahuna wrote:the all time record high for the entire State of Alaska is... 100F.

Steve

Occurred in Fort Yokun, AK.

Bizarre summer Mike. All-time record highs on an island in the northern Bering Sea, and here west of Atlanta it hasn't reached 90° degrees yet. ATL touched 90° several days ago, but here it topped out at 89.1°.

I can't ever remember going this far into summer without at least one 90° day (sometimes even in April or May).

In addition, it's also been extremely wet....5.25" in July, 20.38" since June 1st; and over 30" since May 1st.

Perry

I used to work in Alaska at a radar site called Cape Newenham which is on the southwest tip of the state about 120 miles north of Cold Bay. It hit 71 degrees one August afternoon and it was so warm, at least to us, that we went down to the beach and took a swim in the Bering Sea. It was a QUICK swim as the water was still very cold.
It was quite an experience.

Alex