Annual Summary Report 2019
2019 Alaska Climate Summary
Statewide 2019 Year in Review
- New temperature records were set: 2019 was the warmest year in Alaska since 1949, with a mean temperature of 37.4 °F, breaking the previous record set in 2016 by 0.2 degrees. All first order stations recorded positive departures from normal annual temperatures.
- The Panhandle and Northeast Gulf were drier than normal, contributing to the most significant drought conditions observed over Southeast Alaska in the 20-year history of the drought monitor.
- The southern coast experienced below average snowfall totals every month during the 2018/2019 winter season. Conversely, Bettles, Nome, Kotzebue, and Utqiaġvik received above average snowfall for the season.
- The 2019 Alaska wildfire season caused many residents across the state to be evacuated. There were 719 fires recorded throughout the warm season; 2.5 mio acres of land burnt. Alaska's statutory wildfire season was extended from Aug. 31 to Sept 30 because of high fire danger due to continued warm, dry conditions into September.
- A new "blob", or large area of warm water observed in the Gulf of Alaska, named the Northeast Pacific Marine Heatwave of 2019, formed in May 2019 and reached its maximum size in August. It has since decreased in size and intensity, but is still one of the most significant events seen in the past 40 years.
- The September minimum sea ice extent tied with 2007 and 2016 for the second lowest sea ice extent in the 41-year satellite record at 4.15 million square kilometers.
See also: 2019 NOAA Arctic Report Card
New Papers-
On the Precipitation and Precipitation Change in Alaska
Atmosphere Download it here.
On the Climate and Climate Change of Sitka, Southeast Alaska
Theoretical and Applied Climatology. Download it here.
Strong Temperature Increase and Shrinking Sea Ice in Arctic Alaska
The Open Atmospheric Science Journal. Download it here.
Book -
The Climate of Alaska
Produced by the Alaska Climate Research Center in 2007 by Martha Shulski and Gerd Wendler. Click here for more details!
For other papers please see our research page.
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