The Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
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Storm Waters Rising - In early November, a series of southern storms, fueled by an absence of sea ice and warm ocean temperatures, barreled into Norton Sound, bringing warm temperatures, heavy rain and high winds. The outcomes, including flooding, erosion and lost infrastructure, are described in our feature story by RB Smith of the Nome Nugget. For Teller, Alaska, the stress from the three day storm was amplified by an evacuation, and health concerns as finding shelter took precedent over social distancing. In Nome, the waters were seven feet above normal, floating a 50 year old cabin up the Nome River. In Shishmaref, the waves completely washed out sections of the road to the community landfill and airstrip. You can read about storm surge in Northwest Alaska and about the on-going warm ocean and weather conditions in other areas of the North. Mike Brubaker, Editor

	Fall storm wreaks havoc Teller, Alaska, United States RB Smith / The Nome Nugget / November 13, 2020 Starting on the night of Wednesday, November 4, and continuing through Friday, a major storm ripped through the Norton Sound region, causing widespread closures and some damaging flooding. Read article on The Nome Nugget
	Russian Arctic Sea Fails to Freeze Laptev Sea The Moscow Times / The Moscow Times / November 2, 2020 For the first time since records began, the Laptev Sea has not yet formed sea ice by the end of October. Scientists attribute the lack of ice to early summer warming and an extreme heatwave in Siberia, as well as warm Atlantic currents flowing into the Arctic. Read article on The Moscow Times
	Record November warmth in Svalbard Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen Thomas Nilson / The Independent Barents Observer / November 12, 2020 At Longyearbyen airport, the peak temperature reached 9.2 °C for a short period, nearly two degrees warmer than the last November record measured in 1975. Read article on The Independent Barents Observer
	Swedish researcher finds fish and squid in icy depths of Arctic Ocean Niklas Zachrisson / Radio Sweden / November 13, 2020 For the first time, cod and squid have been found deep in the water at the center of the ocean. The research by Pauline Snoeijs Leijonmalm, a professor at Stockholm University, was part of the Mosaic expedition, an icebreaker that spent a year trapped in the Arctic's ice. Read article on Radio Sweden
	Covid in Scotland: Social distancing could wreck mountain footpaths Mt. Ben Lomand Kevin Keane / BBC News / November 12, 2020 A surge in the popularity of hillwalking during this year's coronavirus pandemic has seen daily visitor numbers at Ben Lomond grow from 1,000 on a normal sunny weekend to around 2,000. Walkers leaving official paths to avoid other people is causing hillside erosion and damage to vegetation. Read article on BBC News
	Bear activity persists despite early snow Haines, Alaska, United States Ceri Godinez / Chilkat Valley News / November 12, 2020 Two bears were shot in the Haines Borough this past weekend, both by homeowners defending chickens. Although bear-related calls to the police dipped after last week’s record-setting snowfall, the recent activity suggests this year’s Bearpocalypse is not yet over. Read article on Chilkat Valley News

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
Climate Observer