Record-Breaking Heat in Alaska Wreaks Havoc on Communities and Ecosystems
Across Alaska, March temperatures averaged 11 degrees Celsius above
normal. The deviation was most extreme in the Arctic where, on March 30,
thermometers rose almost 22 degrees Celsius above normal—to 3 degrees.
That still sounds cold, but it was comparatively hot.
normal. The deviation was most extreme in the Arctic where, on March 30,
thermometers rose almost 22 degrees Celsius above normal—to 3 degrees.
That still sounds cold, but it was comparatively hot.
“It’s hard to characterize that anomaly, it’s just pretty darn
remarkable for that part of the world,” says Rick Thoman, a climate
specialist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy in
Fairbanks. The state’s wave of warmth was part of a weeks-long weather
pattern that shattered temperature records across our immense state,
contributing to losses of both property and life. “When you have a slow
grind of warming like that, lasting weeks or months, it affects people’s
lives,” Thoman says.
