Alaska Climate Research Center
“Cold and snowy” isn’t exactly unusual weather in Alaska, but spring 2026 was very cold and very snowy, even by Alaska standards. Before we fully transition into meteorological summer (June, July, August), spring 2026 warrants a recap. Monthly temperature anomalies from December 2025 to May 2026. Background coloring: ERA5 reanalysis data. Circular markers: Weather stations […]
Spring 2026: cold and snowy Read More »
March 1 marked the beginning of meteorological spring in Alaska. In Fairbanks, we are once again experiencing more than 10 hours of direct sunlight each day — a welcome milestone after the long Arctic winter. The sun climbs higher above the horizon, daylight is rapidly increasing, and there is a subtle but noticeable shift in
Meteorological Spring Has Begun — But Winter Still Has a Firm Grip on Fairbanks Read More »
Note: Please see our annual report for a more comprehensive overview of weather and climate in Alaska in 2025: ACRC Annual Report 2025 2025 temperatures Globally, 2025 will likely come in as the second warmest year on record in a near-tie with 2023 and behind 2024. This would make the past three years (2023, 2024,
Ex-typhoon Halong hit the AK west coast early Sunday morning. Severe impacts have been reported from the Kuskokwim River delta region, with major damage in the communities of Kipnuk, Kwigillingok, and Napakiak. Social media footage shared by residents shows homes floating away in inundated residential areas. The Troopers indicated in a statement that 51 people
Ex-typhoon Halong: Severe storm damage in Western Alaska Read More »
This year’s glacial lake outburst flood originating from the glacier damned lake in Suicide Basin occurred on August 13. The water level of the Mendenhall River at Auke Bay reached 16.65 feet, a new record that tops even the previous records set in 2023 and 2024. The water level of the crest was predicted almost
2025 Mendenhall GLOF Read More »
Suicide Basin has begun draining and the annual glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) has started. The water level in the lake (see graph on the right) is dropping while the river level downstream is rising. Residents of the 17ft lake level inundation zone are being advised to evacuate. See the Juneau Borough evacuation notice and Juneauflood.com for maps
Mendenhall GLOF has started Read More »
Break up is underway on the Tanana River at Nenana. The tripod of the Nenana Ice Classic fell over on April 27 at 3:56 PM AK Standard Time. This was preceded by much anticipation in the previous few days as ice conditions visibly deteriorated. Since 1917, Alaskans have places betts on the exact date and
Break up on the Tanana: The Tripod has fallen Read More »
Arctic sea ice has likely reached its seasonal maximum. On March 22, sea ice extent reached 14.33 million square kilometers (5.53 square miles). The ice extent has been trending downwards since, suggesting that we are now in the sea ice melt season (see the corresponding update on the NSIDC “sea ice today” page). The 2025 seasonal
Seasonal sea ice maximum: Record low extent Read More »
See our full annual report for a more in depth summary of temperature, precipitation, and notable weather events in 2024. At the global scale, 2024 was the warmest year on record in the ERA5 reanalysis as per the Copernicus Climate Change Service, breaking the previous record from 2023. Like in 2023, mean temperatures in 2024
A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) originating from Suicide Basin on the Mendenhall Glacier has caused severe flooding in Juneau neighbourhoods. Water levels in the Mendenhall River peaked around 3am on Tuesday, August 6, at 15.99 feet. This is over a foot higher than during last year’s record breaking outburst. Over 100 homes are estimated
Suicide Basin GLOF: Record flooding in Mendenhall Valley Read More »