Springtime in Alaska

[PA1195]

It was -41F this morning. Coldest March so far since 1992.

[waltermrich]

What part of Alaska ?

[PA1195]

Fairbanks on our deck. Airport was the same. https://mesowest.utah.edu/cgi-bin/dr...=AK&rawsflag=3 There were reports of -50F in low lying stations this am. But...we have 10 hr and 40 min of daylight now and increasing 6.5+ minutes a day. That gives us a +25F at least upswing by 2pm. Tonight it'll be -35F then warming by the weekend: https://forecast.weather.gov/product...D&issuedby=AFG

[waltermrich]

You are hardy people up there. Living in rural Iowa our winter was normal to mild by historical records , but the weather over the last century of records has been all over the place, what do you make of such cold at this time of year in Alaska,?

[PA1195]

Have a read of this weekly Blog: https://www.aer.com/science-research...c-oscillation/ Basically cold Arctic air (called the Polar Vortex-PV) has been in a positive phase (cold, close to round in shape, with cold temps and air pressure aloft called "atmospheric heights" closer to the ground than normal) this winter. What has happened is cold air has stayed across Greenland to Canada to Alaska (the dark blue in the Blog pics). Some years there's a Arctic Oscillation event wherein the round PV reforms arms that extend away and send cold south to you. When that happens we get warm air in Alaska from upper level jetstream flow from the northern Pacific ocean that then carries the cold air aloft with it to you. If the air at the 850mb pressure level (~5000' AGL) is cold below -20*C then the surface soon does as well. You have had a warm winter while we've been cold. Wait until next winter and we'll send some south with Santa for Christmas.

Gary

[waltermrich]

Thanks for your clear explanation of what is happening.

[PA1195]

That was the long version but these cold winters happen. The wx science people haven't offered up a clear reason...but that Blog guy Jodah Cohen is trying to make it simpler based upon several wx sources.

Gary

[at7615]

It was -41F this morning. Coldest March so far since 1992.

"When it's springtime in Alaska it's 40 below"

[N96337]

We're about 80 degrees warmer than you Gary! We've had an extremely mild winter this year in MT! Saw -35 early on, but then it warmed up and barely got any snow even. I plowed the road once, when we got 6" one night. Today it got up above 50...my runway is almost dry, and there's dust on the road in places. Gonna be a lot of bugs this year!
John

[PA1195]

Well good for you guys john. You deserve a nice winter to catch up on chores and rethink things instead of fighting weather. Ours hasn't been real cold - like -50F or lower in Fairbanks - but was prolonged and won't be above 0F steady for a few weeks yet. By the 20th of March we get 12hrs daylight and daily warming. Today it was -41F then got to -3F by 4pm.

Taylorcraft is parked in two feet of snow and needs an annual plus skis installed in a couple of weeks for April and May flying. The lakes have up to 40" ice and over 24" snow so it may be a late Spring for melting. We like to fly on skis until it gets sloppy in late April then go to tires into early May on lake ice. You remember this I'm sure.

Some more about this winter in Alaska: https://twitter.com/NWSFairbanks

Gary