Lineup of Storms and Unseasonable Weather

Observation by Charles Prince:

Back-to-back-to-back storms. First one was snow; 2nd storm was freezing rain that caused power line to snap; 3rd storm was all rain, which made our roads and river icy. This slow winter or should we even call it winter? Andreafski River ice thickness is about a foot; Yukon is around foot and a half. Not much snow, which affects everything, especially trappers.

Richard L Thoman, Jr., Climate Science & Services Manager with National Weather Service Alaska Region, writes:

December was exceptionally mild across Southwest Alaska. At McGrath, the average temperature for the entire month was more than 22 degrees above normal, by far the warmest December in more than 75 years of record. At Bethel, the average December temperature was more than 14 degrees above normal, the third warmest on record (1985 and 2000 were warmer). However, following on the mild October and November, the cumulative effects are astounding. Through the end of December, the total accumulated freezing degree days for the season (a measure of the strength of freezing weather) is by far the lowest on record at both McGrath and Bethel (graphic below). The lack of sustained cold weather continues to allow for weak river ice delays during mild spells.

Comments from LEO Editors:

This observation has been added to the project Extreme or Unseasonable Weather. According to the National Weather Service, this region of Alaska experiences temperatures that were between 6-9 degrees warmer than the average calculated between 1925 and 2000. Weather Underground Historical Data shows a 13-degree increase in the average temperature between December of 2016 and December of 2017. In other posts from this region, observers documented warmer temperatures, slick roads, open water along the rivers, and impacts to winter trapping activities. This observation has been forwarded to the National Weather Service.

Resources:

Some coastal US communities are beginning conversations about how to best deal with power-line vulnerability during storms. Although not an option everywhere, some are thinking about the possibility of installing power lines underground. See "We Need to Put All Coastal Electricity Underground -- NOW" by Roger Anderson. For more information on making energy structures more resilient, see the International Energy Agency report Making the energy sector more resilient to climate change.