mastodon 4.7.2Climate specialist with ACCAP/IARC at UAF, highlighting Alaska climate, environment & Indigenous cultures. Opinions are my own. I've been fascinated by #Arctic & #boreal #weather, #climate and #cultures for more than 50 years. I've worked as a weather & climate professional in private, public & academic spheres. I've been fortunate to live most of my life in Lower Tanana #Dene country near Fairbanks, #Alaska. Also, I have a big interest in Alaska Indigenous languages.
Sea ice continues to melt rapidly in the Bering Sea and extent is now below the 1991-2020 median. Small remanent of the extensive ice in the southeast Bering in late March remains in Bristol Bay. The open water area along the North Slope Chukchi Sea coast is normal this time of year. @Climatologist49@fediscience.org @ZLabe@fediscience.org
Birch Hill, Fairbanks, Alaska in spring-green finery. Photo from Creamers Field. #akwx #Alaska #Spring2026
Sea ice extent in the Bering Sea dropped by more than 20 percent in the past week in NSIDC data. This was mostly the result of thin ice in the southeast Bering Sea melting away in stormy weather. Small areas of lower concentration ice near the Alaska Chukchi Sea coast are normal this time of year. @Climatologist49@fediscience.org @ZLabe@fediscience.org
Lovely sunny Thursday at Nome (26F, -3.3C at Noon AKDT), with the Nome National Forest hanging tough on the shorefast sea ice. Nome sea ice radar shows the shorefast ice is currently stable out to about 3.5 miles from town. #akwx #SeaIce @Jdnome@alaskan.social
Much of southwest Alaska, Interior and Southcentral areas were noticeably lacking in sunshine in April. In parts of the western Interior and Susitna valley, this was the least April sunshine since 1979. ERA5 Data courtesy @CopernicusECMWF@masto.ai and graphic courtesy @Climatologist49@fediscience.org.
If you’re in Fairbanks today (Thursday), come on out to the 2026 edition of the Arctic Research Open House at UAF this afternoon 4-7pm. I’ll be there: stop by the ACCAP table in Akasofu Building and let's chat about anything Alaska weather and climate related. It’s always a good time. #akwx @anisian@alaskan.social @mivox@mivox.net
https://www.uaf.edu/news/uaf-to-host-free-arctic-research-open-house-may-14.php
No, the upper air observation situation in Alaska is not getting better. Alaska Wednesday afternoon 50 percent of possible upper air observations were missing. But thanks for asking. #weather
Sea ice is on the way out for the season in the Bering Sea. Increasing areas of moderate concentration ice in the southern Chukchi and large area open water persisting west of the North Slope coast: overall sea ice extent in the Chukchi Sea the lowest for May 30 since 2022. @Climatologist49@fediscience.org @ZLabe@fediscience.org
As May ends the transition to summer in the Arctic is right on track. Update on snow and ice melt in the latest from the Alaska Arctic Climate Newsletter. @Climatologist49@fediscience.org
https://alaska-arctic-climate.beehiiv.com/p/may-2026-sea-ice-and-snow-update
https://alaskaclimate.substack.com/p/may-2026-sea-ice-and-snow-update
As of late Saturday evening, Fairbanks (UAF West Ridge) snow depth was still 15 inches. But with low temps above freezing three nights in a row and highs in the 50s, that will quickly drop to "none" in coming days. The median winter snowpack melt out date over the past 50 years is April 23. @Climatologist49@fediscience.org @anisian@alaskan.social @mivox@mivox.net
Downtown Fairbanks Tuesday 600am: bright and sunny, calm, 37F (2.8C). #MyAlaskaWx
Ice went out on the Yukon River at Dawson, Yukon Territory Tuesday afternoon (May 5). This is a few days later than average by modern standards but would have been earlier than usual prior to 1970. Data courtesy https://yukonriverbreakup.com/
From KYUK in Bethel, Alaska: "I'm worrying about their being able to heat their homes, fuel their cars, all my village agents in 73 villages fueling up their four-wheeler to meet the plane. This is, it's gonna affect every aspect of life in Western Alaska…”
Downtown Fairbanks Sunday 430pm AKDT: rain and thunder. #MyAlaskaWx
High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Sunday. Continued very mild northwest Arctic with a new record high temperature for the date at Kotzebue (59F, 15.0C). Warmest day of the year so far in the northeast Interior. However, quite cool on the Gulf of Alaska and the southeast Bering Sea coasts. #akwx #weather
Downtown Fairbanks Wednesday 600am: Partly sunny, slight breeze, 44F (6.7C). #MyAlaskaWx
Downtown Fairbanks Thursday 600am: Cloudy, bit of a breeze, 37F (2.8C). Still some piles of plowed snow yet to melt. #MyAlaskaWx
Early look at April 2026 temperature departures around the Arctic. Much warmer than normal across nearly the entire Arctic Ocean as well as on land from Greenland eastward across European Arctic. Much colder than average across most of the Canadian Arctic. Mixed in Alaska and far northeast Russia. Graphic courtesy K. Haustein. #Arctic #Climate
High temperature in May at Utqiaġvik, Alaska was only 29F (-1.7C). This is the second lowest May high temperature in the past 105 years. Only lower was May 1952, when the high was 28F (-2.2C). #akwx #Climate #Spring2026 @Climatologist49@fediscience.org @cinderbdt@mastodon.sdf.org
Downtown Fairbanks Monday 600am: Cloudy, bit of a breeze, a little rain overnight but not currently, 47F (8.3C). #MyAlaskaWx
