Temperature
In contrast to the beginning of this
year, which observed mostly above normal temperatures, March 2013 was colder
than normal (see Fig.1). Negative
deviations were observed for 16 of the 20 first order stations in Alaska, and a
mean monthly value for the all stations could be calculated to a negative
deviation of 1.7°F. Large negative deviations in declining order were found for
Talkeetna (-4.6°F). Fairbanks (-4.3°F), Juneau
(-4.1°F), Bettles and Bethel (both -3.0°F). Barrow
was the only station with a substantial positive deviation of +5.3°F,
continuing the long term warming trend observed in Arctic Alaska over the last
decades. This trend is especially strong in fall and winter, as evidenced by the
substantially decreased sea ice extent and thickness in the Arctic Ocean. Other
positive deviations were not as substantial (< 1°F), and details for all
stations can be seen from Table 1. Altogether the observed deviations are quite
moderate when compared to other winter months, when much larger deviations were
observed for monthly values in recent years, exceeding 20°F for a single
station or 10°F for the mean of all stations.
|
Temperature
|
Station
|
Observed
(°F)
|
Normal (°F)
|
Delta (°F)
|
Anchorage
|
24.5
|
26.6
|
-2.1
|
Annette
|
38.5
|
39.7
|
-1.2
|
Barrow
|
-7.4
|
-12.7
|
5.3
|
Bethel
|
12.2
|
15.2
|
-3
|
Bettles
|
1.4
|
4.4
|
-3
|
Cold Bay
|
30.8
|
30.1
|
0.7
|
Delta
Junction
|
12.6
|
14.1
|
-1.5
|
Fairbanks
|
7.1
|
11.4
|
-4.3
|
Gulkana
|
13.3
|
15.6
|
-2.3
|
Homer
|
30.3
|
29.9
|
0.4
|
Juneau
|
29.7
|
33.8
|
-4.1
|
King
Salmon
|
21.3
|
24.1
|
-2.8
|
Kodiak
|
31.9
|
32.8
|
-0.9
|
Kotzebue
|
1.6
|
1.1
|
0.5
|
McGrath
|
9.3
|
11.6
|
-2.3
|
Nome
|
8.5
|
10.3
|
-1.8
|
St. Paul
Island
|
23.5
|
24.8
|
-1.3
|
Talkeetna
|
20.3
|
24.9
|
-4.6
|
Valdez
|
28.3
|
30.3
|
-2
|
Yakutat
|
28.9
|
32
|
-3.1
|
New daily temperature records were also set this
month. Here we included a few other stations. Between the 4th and 9th
of March, Bethel, McGrath and Valdez reported new daily maxima, while in the
last 1/3rd of the month, Juneau, Homer, Bethel McGrath, King Salmon
and Eielson AFB reported new daily minima. In the table below, new daily record
low and high temperatures are listed:
Date
|
Station
|
Element
|
New Record
|
Old Record
|
Year of Old
Record
|
03/04/13
|
Bethel
|
High
Temperature
|
37
|
36
|
2009
|
03/07/13
|
McGrath
|
High
Temperature
|
44
|
43
|
1949
|
03/08/13
|
McGrath
|
High
Temperature
|
47
|
43
|
1965
|
03/09/13
|
Valdez
|
High
Temperature
|
44
|
42
|
1980
|
03/20/13
|
Juneau
|
Low
Temperature
|
9
|
11
|
2001
|
03/26/13
|
Homer
|
Low
Temperature
|
9
|
10
|
1976
|
03/26/13
|
Bethel
|
Low
Temperature
|
-22
|
-21
|
1977
|
03/26/13
|
McGrath
|
Low
Temperature
|
-30
|
-25
|
1976
|
03/26/13
|
King Salmon
|
Low
Temperature
|
-18
|
-11
|
1977
|
03/27/13
|
Eielson AFB
|
Low
Temperature
|
-31
|
-26
|
2004
|
Precipitation
Precipitation varied widely (see Fig.2).
Expressed as percentages, Barrow had the highest amount with 556% of the mean
value with 0.50" of the expected 0.09". St. Paul Island (293%), Anchorage
(228%) and King Salmon (214%) had at least twice the long term mean. On the
other side of the spectrum were Yakutat and Annette in Southeastern Alaska with
just above half (both 54%) of the long term mean. The mean value of all 20
stations gave a value of 36% above normal. As for the temperature, the
precipitation and snowfall deviations for the different station are given in the
tables below.
|
Precipitation
|
Station
|
Observed
(in)
|
Normal (in)
|
Delta (in)
|
Delta %
|
%
|
Anchorage
|
1.37
|
0.6
|
0.77
|
128%
|
228%
|
Annette
|
4.36
|
8.05
|
-3.69
|
-46%
|
54%
|
Barrow
|
0.5
|
0.09
|
0.41
|
456%
|
556%
|
Bethel
|
0.78
|
0.71
|
0.07
|
10%
|
110%
|
Bettles
|
0.37
|
0.58
|
-0.21
|
-36%
|
64%
|
Cold Bay
|
2.67
|
2.7
|
-0.03
|
-1%
|
99%
|
Delta
Junction
|
0.17
|
0.18
|
-0.01
|
-6%
|
94%
|
Fairbanks
|
0.26
|
0.25
|
0.01
|
4%
|
104%
|
Gulkana
|
0.51
|
0.3
|
0.21
|
70%
|
170%
|
Homer
|
0.96
|
1.65
|
-0.69
|
-42%
|
58%
|
Juneau
|
2.36
|
3.78
|
-1.42
|
-38%
|
62%
|
King
Salmon
|
1.5
|
0.7
|
0.8
|
114%
|
214%
|
Kodiak
|
4.47
|
5.53
|
-1.06
|
-19%
|
81%
|
Kotzebue
|
0.37
|
0.44
|
-0.07
|
-16%
|
84%
|
McGrath
|
0.49
|
0.81
|
-0.32
|
-40%
|
60%
|
Nome
|
0.64
|
0.65
|
-0.01
|
-2%
|
98%
|
St. Paul
Island
|
3.13
|
1.07
|
2.06
|
193%
|
293%
|
Talkeetna
|
1.24
|
1.05
|
0.19
|
18%
|
118%
|
Valdez
|
5.42
|
4.54
|
0.88
|
19%
|
119%
|
Yakutat
|
5.93
|
11.04
|
-5.11
|
-46%
|
54%
|

|
Snowfall
|
Station
|
Observed
(in)
|
Normal (in)
|
Delta (in)
|
Delta (%)
|
%
|
Anchorage
|
20.6
|
9.9
|
10.7
|
108%
|
208%
|
Annette
|
0.9
|
6.9
|
-6
|
-87%
|
13%
|
Barrow
|
7.9
|
2.1
|
5.8
|
276%
|
376%
|
Bethel
|
5.8
|
8.2
|
-2.4
|
-29%
|
71%
|
Bettles
|
4.8
|
9.3
|
-4.5
|
-48%
|
52%
|
Cold Bay
|
7.5
|
13
|
-5.5
|
-42%
|
58%
|
Fairbanks
|
6.2
|
4.9
|
1.3
|
27%
|
127%
|
Juneau
|
9.4
|
11.6
|
-2.2
|
-19%
|
81%
|
King
Salmon
|
11.3
|
6.4
|
4.9
|
77%
|
177%
|
Kodiak
|
11.7
|
11.3
|
0.4
|
4%
|
104%
|
Kotzebue
|
3.7
|
5.9
|
-2.2
|
-37%
|
63%
|
McGrath
|
7.2
|
11.3
|
-4.1
|
-36%
|
64%
|
Nome
|
9.1
|
8.9
|
0.2
|
2%
|
102%
|
St. Paul
Island
|
26.9
|
8
|
18.9
|
236%
|
336%
|
Valdez
|
73.7
|
48.4
|
25.3
|
52%
|
152%
|
Yakutat
|
35.3
|
28.4
|
6.9
|
24%
|
124%
|
Records events, both for precipitation and snowfall,
are summarized below.
Date
|
Station
|
Element
|
New Record
|
Old Record
|
Year of Old
Record
|
03/07/13
|
St. Paul
Island
|
Snowfall
|
6.38
|
2.5
|
1978
|
03/09/13
|
King Salmon
|
Snowfall
|
1.9
|
1.2
|
1959
|
03/10/13
|
King Salmon
|
Snowfall
|
4.3
|
2.7
|
1969
|
03/17/13
|
St. Paul
Island
|
Snowfall
|
2.4
|
1.8
|
1954
|
03/22/13
|
King Salmon
|
Snowfall
|
1.8
|
1.5
|
1993
|
03/23/13
|
Valdez
|
Snowfall
|
16.9
|
14.4
|
1997
|
03/23/13
|
Valdez
|
Precipitation
|
1.14
|
0.78
|
1997
|
03/24/13
|
Anchorage
|
Snowfall
|
5.8
|
3.6
|
1972
|
03/24/13
|
Anchorage
|
Precipitation
|
0.42
|
0.33
|
1972
|
03/26/13
|
Barrow
|
Snowfall
|
3.1
|
0.8
|
1965
|
03/26/13
|
Barrow
|
Precipitation
|
0.27
|
0.07
|
1979
|
03/27/13
|
St. Paul
Island
|
Snowfall
|
2.1
|
1.6
|
2006
|
03/28/13
|
King Salmon
|
Precipitation
|
0.31
|
0.19
|
1991
|
03/30/13
|
King Salmon
|
Precipitation
|
0.36
|
0.19
|
1969
|
The most surprising of these records is the amount of precipitation,
which fell in Barrow on the 26th March. The amount of 0.27", which
fell on this day, is 3 times the monthly long-term value for Barrow in March.
Newsworthy Events
On March 12th an air quality advisory was issued for
Fairbanks and North Pole due to relative strong inversion conditions.
The Steese Highway, which had been closed at
Eagle Summit due to blowing and drifting snow, was reopened on Sunday, March 24th.
A winter storm warming was issued for Anchorage and Eagle River on March
25th.
This
information consists of preliminary climatological data compiled by the Alaska
Climate Research Center, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks.
This summary is based on the twenty first order stations in Alaska operated by
the National Weather Service. Extreme events of other stations are also
mentioned. It should be noted that the new climate normals for the time period
of 1981-2010 are applied for the calculations of the deviations, and they can
be slightly different from the old normals (1971-2000), which were in use up
until end of July 2011.