The Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
Climate Observer

Screen capture from Zoom.earth showing active wildfires in Canada and Alaska as of August 30, 2023

Running for Safety It is hard to image what it has been like for residents of NWT this summer. We have been watching a steady stream of jawdropping headlines. Like different acts in a tragic play, they tell the story from heat wave to drought, wildfire to the evacuation of a whole city. I ran a search in LEO Network to look at some of the milestones. The spring was unusually warm with temperatures up to 20 degrees above normal. On May 10, there were no fires yet but the weather service was warning of hot, windy conditions, and extreme fire risk. Less then a week later, wildfires were burning out of control and on May 14 Hay River and the Kátł'odeeche First Nation reserve were ordered to evacuate. Another heat wave hit in early July and by July 10, wildfires and smoke were causing evacuations in Tulita in Northern NWT. On July 13, CBC reported that the drought in Hay River had reduced Alexandria Falls to a mere trickle. The water level in Great Slave Lake was down by 1/2 meter. On July 24 Behchokǫ̀, a community of 2000 near Yellowknife was ordered to evacuate. N.W.T. Premier Caroline Cochrane, said the situation was serious with 125 active fires burning across the Territory. The fires only continued to expand and on August 17, all 20,000 residents of Yellowknife were ordered to evacuate. As of today, most of the population has still not returned. According to Environment and Climate Canada, there are now 242 active fires in NWT, having burnt 2968844 Ha, roughly an area the size of Belgium. See Zoom Earth for the fire map. This summer should be a wakeup call across the circumpolar north, signaling that devastating fires and smoke are coming, and it is not just small rural communities that are vulnerable. How would we manage if Juneau were evacuated? How would Whitehorse or Anadyr? We will be watching for the lessons from 2023 on how communities can be prepared for the smoke, wildfires and evacuations to come. Our hearts go out to our friends in NWT who have been displaced or lost their homes. Wishes for a quick return of northern conditions, cool temperatures, rain and clean air. Mike Brubaker, Editor

	Stay or flee: the decisions First Nations people are making in the face of B.C. wildfires Sorrento, British Columbia, Canada Jackie McKay / CBC / August 23, 2023 With wildfires raging across the Interior of B.C., and many First Nations being ordered to evacuate, community members say the decision to stay or go can be tough. Read article on CBC
	Wildfire smoke, climate change affecting N.W.T. berry pickers and their harvest Norman Wells, Northwest Territories, Canada Taylor Holmes / CBC / August 8, 2023 Cathy Pope, a berry picker from Norman Wells, N.W.T., said there has been an abundance of blueberries this year, and that she's "never seen it like this." Despite the ample availability of fruit, thick wildfire smoke — some of the worst in the country, at times — has made it hard for Pope to go out and pick. Read article on CBC
	July was Utqiaġvik’s warmest month in the past century Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States Anchorage Daily News / August 10, 2023 The average temperature in July was 48.4 degrees — 6.7 degrees above normal, with 11 hot days in a row. Such extreme warmth can accelerate the greening and permafrost thaw on the North Slope. Read article on Anchorage Daily News
	Mystery mass death of seals on remote, uninhabited Siberian island under investigation Tyuleny Island, Russia TodayHeadline / August 16, 2023 Tyuleniy Island, also known as the ‘Island of the Seals,’ is located in the Sea of Okhotsk and is an important breeding ground for northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus). More than 300 northern fur seals and Steller sea lions have been found dead in a mystery mass die-off on a small, uninhabited island in Siberia. Read article on TodayHeadline
	Humpack Salmon Spread in Iceland, Threatening Local Fish Hjalteyri, Northeast, Iceland Jelena Ćirić / Iceland Review / August 24, 2023 Anglers caught dozens of humpback salmon in Eyjafjarðará river yesterday, RÚV reports. Humpack salmon are spreading in Iceland and threatening local fish species in Icelandic rivers. Read article on Iceland Review
	Beluga Whale Spotted in The Yukon River Near Tanana Tanana, Alaska, United States Rodney Evans and Barbara Mahoney / LEO Network / August 11, 2023 The marine mammal was seen some 600 miles from where the river empties into the Bering Sea. Read post on the LEO Network

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.

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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.

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Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
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