AALASKALASKA C CLIMATELIMATE RRESEARCHESEARCH C CENTERENTERAALASKALASKA C CLIMATELIMATE RRESEARCHESEARCH C CENTERENTER

AASCJuly 2012

The Alaska Climate Research Center (ACRC) is part of the Geophysical Institute, UAF. It was established by the State of Alaska by Title 14, Chapter 40, Section 085. Specific information can be found in this section.

The purpose of the center is threefold: a) Dissemination of climatological data b) Research on climate and climate change in Alaska and

Polar Regionsc) Education

It is noteworthy to mention that we are recognized by AASC (ARSCO status).

The Alaska Climate Research Center (ACRC) is part of the Geophysical Institute, UAF. It was established by the State of Alaska by Title 14, Chapter 40, Section 085. Specific information can be found in this section.

The purpose of the center is threefold: a) Dissemination of climatological data b) Research on climate and climate change in Alaska and

Polar Regionsc) Education

It is noteworthy to mention that we are recognized by AASC (ARSCO status).

STAFF

Dr. Gerd Wendler - Director and Professor Emeritus (part time)

Kevin Galloway - Webmaster (full time) Blake Moore - Computer Programmer (part

time) Various Students (Bill Chen)

STAFF

Dr. Gerd Wendler - Director and Professor Emeritus (part time)

Kevin Galloway - Webmaster (full time) Blake Moore - Computer Programmer (part

time) Various Students (Bill Chen)

Dissemination:

Climatological data sets available to the public, research organizations and interested industries (free of charge). Today this is mostly done over our website:http://akclimate.org, which received some 26,000 hits on the average day in 2011.

Dissemination:

Climatological data sets available to the public, research organizations and interested industries (free of charge). Today this is mostly done over our website:http://akclimate.org, which received some 26,000 hits on the average day in 2011.

A Summary Of The ACRC Web Resources

A Summary Of The ACRC Web Resources

Online at the Alaska Climate Research Center (ACRC), we have many summaries, products, meteorological, and climatological information available. The website (http://akclimate.org/) is quite popular. From our home page, users can select any number of links: Fairbanks weather and climate, our popular webcam and on-campus weather station, radiation measurements, climatological data, up-to-date summaries, Alaska weather, information for tourists, seasonal and other weather and climate links, and a ‘spotlight on climate’ section giving a list of the latest features posted.

Online at the Alaska Climate Research Center (ACRC), we have many summaries, products, meteorological, and climatological information available. The website (http://akclimate.org/) is quite popular. From our home page, users can select any number of links: Fairbanks weather and climate, our popular webcam and on-campus weather station, radiation measurements, climatological data, up-to-date summaries, Alaska weather, information for tourists, seasonal and other weather and climate links, and a ‘spotlight on climate’ section giving a list of the latest features posted.

WebsiteWebsite

PERIODIC ACTIVITIES

• Monthly Summaries for selected stations across Alaska to be published online and in local newspapers.

• A monthly statewide summary.

• Yearly summaries for selected stations.

• A seasonal statewide summary (in conjunction with ACCAP) for the Climate Dispatch.

• Assist with monthly summaries with NWS staff to be published in Weather Wise.

PERIODIC ACTIVITIES

• Monthly Summaries for selected stations across Alaska to be published online and in local newspapers.

• A monthly statewide summary.

• Yearly summaries for selected stations.

• A seasonal statewide summary (in conjunction with ACCAP) for the Climate Dispatch.

• Assist with monthly summaries with NWS staff to be published in Weather Wise.

April 2012 for FairbanksApril 2012 for FairbanksIn Fairbanks the average April temperature was 36.9°F, a substantial 4.4°F above the long term mean. The high temperature for the month was 61°F on the 16th, which is also a new record high for this day. The previous maximum for this day was 59°F observed in 1993. The low temperature for the month was -8°F observed on the 4th. The beginning of the month was much colder than normal, followed by above normal temperatures, especially around the middle of the month, while the end of April reported seasonally normal temperatures. It was the 13th warmest April on record, and above normal temperatures resulted in an early breakup of the Tanana River. The ice went out at Nenana on the 23rd of April.

OTHER ACTIVITIES ACRC operates a webcam camera from the third

floor of IARC, as well as a climate and radiation station and an all sky camera located on the roof of the Geophysical Institute. The climate station and webcam are publicly accessible via the internet.

Global radiation Global radiation inclined to latitude (65°) Global radiation south facing Infrared (long-wave) radiation

OTHER ACTIVITIES ACRC operates a webcam camera from the third

floor of IARC, as well as a climate and radiation station and an all sky camera located on the roof of the Geophysical Institute. The climate station and webcam are publicly accessible via the internet.

Global radiation Global radiation inclined to latitude (65°) Global radiation south facing Infrared (long-wave) radiation

All-sky camera image with

contrail

Publications by ACRC since 1998(journal articles and books only)

Dissing, D., and G. Wendler 1998: Solar radiation climatology of Alaska. Theor. Appl. Clim., 61, 161-175.

Curtis, J., G. Wendler, R. Stone and E. Dutton 1998: Precipitation decrease in the Western Arctic, with special emphasis on Barrow and Barter Island, Alaska. Intl. J. Clim., 18, 1687-1707

Magee, N., J. Curtis and G. Wendler 1999: The urban heat island effect at Fairbanks, Alaska. Theor. Appl. Clim., 64, 39-47

Stafford, J., G. Wendler and J. Curtis 2000: Temperature and precipitation of Alaska: 50 year trend analyses. Theor. Appl. Clim., 67, 33-44

Nakanishi, S., J. Curtis and G. Wendler 2001: The influence of increased jet airline traffic on the amount of high cloudiness in Alaska. Theor. Appl. Clim., 68, 197-205

Fan X., J.-F. Chou, B.-R. Guo, and M.D. Shulski, 2004. A coupled simple climate model and its global analysis. Theor. Appl. Clim., 79:31-43.

Wendler, G., M. Shulski and B. Hartmann 2004: Potential climatic effects of cirrus contrails for the subarctic setting of Fairbanks, Alaska, Theor. Appl. Clim. 81, 149-159

Stuefer, M. and G. Wendler 2005: MM5 Contrail forecasting in Alaska. Mon. Wea. Rev., 3517-3526 Hartmann, B. and G. Wendler 2005: On the significance of the 1976 Pacific climate shift in the

climatology of Alaska. : J. Clim.18,4824-4839 Wendler, G., 2006. Book Review of The Arctic Climate System by Serreze and Barry, Polar Rec., 42(223),

370-372. Wendler, G., 2006. Climate of the Polar Realms. Chapter 5 In: The Global Climate System by H. Bridgman

and J. Oliver, Cambridge University Press, 131-169. Damoah R., N. Spichtinger, R. Servranckx, M. Fromm, E. Eloranta, I. Razenkov, P. James, M. Shulski, C.

Forster, and A. Stohl, 2006. Transport modeling of a pyro-convection event in Alaska. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 6:173-185.

Weller, G., M. Nolan, G. Wendler, C. Benson, K. Echelmeyer and N. Untersteiner 2007: Fifty years of McCall Glacier Research: From the International Geophysical Year to the International Polar Year 2007-2008. Artic, 60(1), 1001-1011

Shulski, M. and G. Wendler, 2007. The Climate of Alaska. University of Alaska Press, 216pp. Klein, D.R., M. Shulski, 2008. Lichen recovery following heavy grazing by reindeer delayed by climate

change. Ambio, Wendler, G and M. Shulski 2009. A Century of Climate Change for Fairbanks, Alaska: Arctic, 62 (3) 295-

300 Wendler, G., M. Shulski and B. Moore 2010: Changes in the climate of the Alaskan North Slope and the

ice concentration in the adjacent Beaufort Sea. Theor. Appl. Clim. 99, 67-74 Wendler, G., J. Conner, M. Shulski and B. Moore 2010: Climatology of Alaskan wildfires with special

emphasis on the extreme year of 2004. Theor. Appl. Clim. DOI 10, 67-74 Wendler,G., L. Chen and B. Moore 2012: The first decade of the new century: a cooling trend for most of

Alaska. Open Atmospheric Science Journal, in press

Publications by ACRC since 1998(journal articles and books only)

Dissing, D., and G. Wendler 1998: Solar radiation climatology of Alaska. Theor. Appl. Clim., 61, 161-175.

Curtis, J., G. Wendler, R. Stone and E. Dutton 1998: Precipitation decrease in the Western Arctic, with special emphasis on Barrow and Barter Island, Alaska. Intl. J. Clim., 18, 1687-1707

Magee, N., J. Curtis and G. Wendler 1999: The urban heat island effect at Fairbanks, Alaska. Theor. Appl. Clim., 64, 39-47

Stafford, J., G. Wendler and J. Curtis 2000: Temperature and precipitation of Alaska: 50 year trend analyses. Theor. Appl. Clim., 67, 33-44

Nakanishi, S., J. Curtis and G. Wendler 2001: The influence of increased jet airline traffic on the amount of high cloudiness in Alaska. Theor. Appl. Clim., 68, 197-205

Fan X., J.-F. Chou, B.-R. Guo, and M.D. Shulski, 2004. A coupled simple climate model and its global analysis. Theor. Appl. Clim., 79:31-43.

Wendler, G., M. Shulski and B. Hartmann 2004: Potential climatic effects of cirrus contrails for the subarctic setting of Fairbanks, Alaska, Theor. Appl. Clim. 81, 149-159

Stuefer, M. and G. Wendler 2005: MM5 Contrail forecasting in Alaska. Mon. Wea. Rev., 3517-3526 Hartmann, B. and G. Wendler 2005: On the significance of the 1976 Pacific climate shift in the

climatology of Alaska. : J. Clim.18,4824-4839 Wendler, G., 2006. Book Review of The Arctic Climate System by Serreze and Barry, Polar Rec., 42(223),

370-372. Wendler, G., 2006. Climate of the Polar Realms. Chapter 5 In: The Global Climate System by H. Bridgman

and J. Oliver, Cambridge University Press, 131-169. Damoah R., N. Spichtinger, R. Servranckx, M. Fromm, E. Eloranta, I. Razenkov, P. James, M. Shulski, C.

Forster, and A. Stohl, 2006. Transport modeling of a pyro-convection event in Alaska. Atmos. Chem. Phys., 6:173-185.

Weller, G., M. Nolan, G. Wendler, C. Benson, K. Echelmeyer and N. Untersteiner 2007: Fifty years of McCall Glacier Research: From the International Geophysical Year to the International Polar Year 2007-2008. Artic, 60(1), 1001-1011

Shulski, M. and G. Wendler, 2007. The Climate of Alaska. University of Alaska Press, 216pp. Klein, D.R., M. Shulski, 2008. Lichen recovery following heavy grazing by reindeer delayed by climate

change. Ambio, Wendler, G and M. Shulski 2009. A Century of Climate Change for Fairbanks, Alaska: Arctic, 62 (3) 295-

300 Wendler, G., M. Shulski and B. Moore 2010: Changes in the climate of the Alaskan North Slope and the

ice concentration in the adjacent Beaufort Sea. Theor. Appl. Clim. 99, 67-74 Wendler, G., J. Conner, M. Shulski and B. Moore 2010: Climatology of Alaskan wildfires with special

emphasis on the extreme year of 2004. Theor. Appl. Clim. DOI 10, 67-74 Wendler,G., L. Chen and B. Moore 2012: The first decade of the new century: a cooling trend for most of

Alaska. Open Atmospheric Science Journal, in press

First Order Stations in Alaska

Annual Temperature Trend (°C) for the Mean of the 20 First Order Stations.

Isoplete presentation of the observed temperature change for the first decade of the 21st century based on all first order meteorological stations

in Alaska

Averaged mean annual temperature deviation from the norm against the Pacific Decadal Oscillation values for the first decade of the 21st century

Averaged mean annual temperature deviation from the norm against the sunspot number for the first decade of the 21st century

Change in the geopotential height (1000 mb) in winter during the first decade of the 21 century - (2000 to 2005) minus (2006 to 2010) - for Alaska as obtained from the NCEP/NCAR reanalyzed data set.

Spring 2012 Temperature for King SalmonSpring 2012 Temperature for King SalmonThe 2012 spring temperature departure based on all 20 first order climatological stations in Alaska was 2.9°F below normal, which  is in stark contrast to the contiguous United States, where far above normal temperatures were observed.