The Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
Climate Observer

Ice Tales - In the community of Aklavik, Northwest Territories (NWT), river travel this month has been scary. The Peel Canal, a tributary of the Mackenzie River, is taking longer than usual to freeze. That people are starting to travel on the young ice worries resident Allen Kogiak. "In the past, there's been a lot of drowning because of people … driving right into the water." It's too warm in the Northwest Territory, but go just 1,000 km west to Alaska, and the ice situation is quite the opposite. In late October, seven hunters from Pilot Station were rescued after being stranded by an unusual and sudden change in the Yukon River. As Rex Nick described ice conditions to KYUK, “It was forming so fast. It was freezing so fast. Just amazing. I’d never seen anything like that.” This week the ice struck again, this time causing crews to abandon two full barges on the Kuskokwim River near Eek. The NCO finds the dissimilarity between early winter in Alaska and the NWT striking. In fact the extreme cold in Alaska this month contrasts with extreme warm in much of northern Canada, Scandinavia and Siberia. On November 2, it was 12 degrees C in Narvik, Norway, the same temperature as Rome. In parts of Siberia, temperatures were 20 degrees above normal causing some wildflowers to have a second bloom. From the Resilience Desk, read how a floating wind farm off the coast of Scotland is modeling our clean energy future. Mike Brubaker, Editor

	Reports from the land: N.W.T. hunters and trappers describe unusually warm fall Aklavik, Northwest Territories, Canada Liny Lamberink / CBC / From the thickness of the ice to moose migration and pelt quality, hunters and trappers say the late arrival of cold weather in the N.W.T. is "going to have effects, down the line." Read article on CBC
	Alaska Logistics is leaving two barges to freeze in the Kuskokwim River Eek, Alaska, United States Greg Kim / KYUK / November 12, 2021 “It got very cold the day we got there, it got down to like single digits and ice came out of the mountains and rivers and sloughs everywhere,” said Allyn Long, general manager of Alaska Logistics. Read article on KYUK
	Siberia up to 20C warmer than normal with huge temperature anomalies, predicts weather expert Yakutsk, Sakha, Russia Siberian Times / November 8, 2021 The world’s coldest city is on course to be up to 20C milder than usual for this time of year, says the scientific director of Russia's Hydrometeorological Center, Roman Vilfand. The streams of warm air from the south and west determine this situation. Read article on Siberian Times
	UK's 'longest-lasting' snow patch melts away Aviemore, Scotland, United Kingdom BBC News / November 3, 2021 Dubbed the Sphinx, the snow on a remote Scottish mountain has in the past survived for decades at a time. Read article on BBC News
	24 meters in a year: Like walking in a lunar landscape Midtdalsbreen, Hardangerjøkulen, Vestland, Norway Håvard Heggen / NRK / August 25, 2021 Over the course of a year, the end of the glacier arms of the mighty Hardangerjøkulen has retreated so fast that huge amounts of gravel and stone comb have now appeared. Read article on NRK
	Polar bear sightings prompt North Slope officials to encourage precautions among residents Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States Anchorage Daily News / Officials are encouraging the public to be safe, report polar bears in the area and never approach the animals, which can be “dangerous and unpredictable.” Read article on Anchorage Daily News
	How might the world meet its clean energy needs Alasdair Lane / BBC / November 3, 2021 Sixteen miles (26km) off the windswept coast of northern Scotland, the future of renewable energy is taking shape. Rotating rhythmically in the breeze, the five colossal turbines of the Hywind Scotland wind farm look much like any other off-shore wind project, bar one major difference – they're floating. Read article on BBC

The Northern Climate Observer is published by the Center for Climate and Health. We track news coverage from across the circumpolar north and provide readers with a curated roundup of climate change related events. Thank you for reading our newsletter and for paying attention to our changing world.

Please forward this newsletter or share it on social media. Join the LEO Network to share your own stories of environmental change.

You may subscribe or unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking here.

Northern Climate Observer

The Northern Climate Observer is published weekly by the Center for Climate and Health. We track news from across the circumpolar north and provide readers with a curated roundup of climate change related events.

Explore Posts

Submit a Post

Directory

About

My LEO

The NorthernClimate Observer

Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
Climate Observer