Near-record temperatures expected today in Fairbanks
Published Saturday, October 10, 2009
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Stumble It!FAIRBANKS — Don’t put away the soccer balls, bicycles and roller skis yet.
If you haven’t raked up the leaves in your yard or switched over to winter tires, there’s still time.
As for skiers, well, you’ll just have to hold on to your bindings.
A blast of warm air will leave Fairbanksans basking in warmth this weekend — at least for October — and it will probably be at least another week before the possibility of snow even creeps into the forecast.
The National Weather Service in Fairbanks is forecasting a high temperature around 60 degrees today.
“Fifty-nine is the record, and we’re probably going to push that,” meteorologist Cary Freeman said of the record high temperature for this date set in 1979.
The temperatures are the result of warm air blowing into the Interior from the southwest, commonly known as a chinook, Freeman said.
“We’ve been under a chinook the last several days, but this is a really strong one,” Freeman said. “There’s a big storm coming out of the north Pacific and going into the Bering Sea to the west of us. That’s going to create a nice, strong, southerly flow over the central portion of the state.”
For Fairbanks and the rest of the Interior, that means unseasonably warm, dry weather for this time of the year. The high temperature at Fairbanks International Airport on Friday was 53 degrees. The normal high is 37 degrees.
It will be even warmer today, and high temperatures on Sunday should remain in the low to mid-50s before cooling into the 40s next week.
“There’s nothing on the horizon for enthusiastic skiers,” Freeman said.
That’s not what ski coach Pete Leonard with the Nordic Ski Club of Fairbanks wants to hear. Last year at this time there was almost 5 inches of snow on the ground, and cross-country skiers had been at Birch Hill Recreation Area for a week.
So far this year, only two-tenths of an inch of snow has fallen — all on Sept. 27 — and that snow disappeared in a day. In an average year, about 6 inches of snow has fallen at the airport by now.
“Everyone’s just itching for it,” Leonard said, referring to snow. “If we don’t get snow pretty soon, it won’t be good.”
But Leonard wasn’t sweating the lack of snow and cold temperatures. He recalled the fall of 2006, his first year in Fairbanks.
“The first year I was here we had 60-degree weather and we were training in T-shirts and within a week we were skiing,” Leonard said. “We haven’t failed yet to get winter since I’ve been here.”
Truth be told, Leonard is sort of enjoying the warm conditions.
“It could be teasing us with 37 degree temperatures and rain, hypothermia kind of weather,” he said. “This nice, dry fall weather — I’ll take it.”
Contact staff writer Tim Mowry at 459-7587.
Community Discussion
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Nice biking and swimming weather.
Some of the finest fall weather ever.
Good morning,
60 there today huh? I awoke this morning to snow on the ground and 26 right now at 7:30! We won't see 40 today and more snow expected tomorrow night into Mon. morning. May be a record low tomorrow a.m. of 25! So while you're having record highs, we're at the other end for now. That's the weather pattern this time of year. By the way, should mention I'm in Minneapolis or Eagan, Mn. to be exact. I'm off my normal "stomping grounds" the Arctic Cam.
Enjoy while you can!!
Jon
Time & temp phone recording revealed a 29' degrees this AM. It's still dark, so I can't see the AM forecast. Yesterday was one of the clearest, most comfortable fall days. Little need for a jacket or heat!
We're fortunate to say the least in Interior Alaska these days.
Good for you Fairbanks. You guys deserve some fine weather. Meanwhile I'm enjoying the best of fall foliage Pennsylvania has to offer.
Ever notice when the Arctic Cold blows into the lower 48, the interior has a warm spell. How many remember last December when it got to 50 degrees after a long spell of below zero. Got to love the temperature changes in the interior, keeps you guessing. NOAA is actually calling for pleasant weather next week.
Aaaaa Yes!
Global Warming at it's best!
Perfect temperature not to hot - not to cold few bugs, no forest fire smoke and sunlight!
I was a bit sad, that the snow decided to hold off, but I think I'll use these last few days a warmth to enjoy friends and company, and get those last few summer time tasks completed.
Then. Bring On The Snow!!! I'm ready for some fun!!!!
Gotta love this place.
This global warming is just terrible. Please pass the carbon tax. I can't wait to save us from this warm weather.
Just wondering why I left the state for warmer weather! Enjoy this wonerful fall!
To expand on what several said, the weather pattern driving this is a very high amplitude ridge/trough pattern. The amplitude is high enough to cause record to near record highs in the ridge portion (NW North America including Alaska and the Yukon), and record cold in the Lower 48. As of 8am this morning, it was 28 F and snowing in Dalhart, Texas (note - 10/11 am Texas time, and yes - snowing in Texas in the first half of October), with temperatures in the teens and 20s with snow and freezing rain over much of the Plains/Colorado/other Rockies. And as noted by xpipelyner above, the Twin Cities have snow in the forecast ... expecting a few inches Sunday night into Monday morning based on the latest weather service forecast.
As for the Interior ... my advice would be don't argue with it. Last October was unusually cold with lots of early below zero days (and temps less than -20 F several times at our place a little east of town). A warm October might delay mushing season, but is otherwise nice.
My observation about interior weather is this- Every day its warm is a day it's not cold.
Love it and NO bugs!!!
global warming rocks- keep spraying your hair spray ladiesand comb over guys.
Funny how when newspaper and such are facing financial problems, all of the sudden the "environment" now takes a back seat and the "benefits" of this and that are not that great......
USA Today to post 17 percent drop in circulation
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financial...
BUT.....
Kill a Newspaper, Save a Tree? Not Quite
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnfl...
JETorres, isn't that a bit off-topic?
Would be nice to trick or treat this year without freezing :) The kids and I will be outside enjoying a bit of true fall this year!
Is the earth beginning that pole flip thing? You know, where the poles switch and Alaska returns to being rain forests, balmy, etc.?
Friends "outside" Alaska are still doubting today's weather forecast.
Let's form a new group, "Fairbanksans for Flourocarbons!" I nominate Nadine for our mascot.
robir8 ... that is my philosophy for surviving the winter... every day that it is not cold is one less day that it will be cold. When is comes right down to it, there are fewer cold days than not cold days... relatively speaking.
Don't worry, winter IS on the way as it's just a matter of time. In all my years in Fairbanks I cannot recall many halloweens that weren't "white".
In fact, you're almost guaranteed to see snow on the ground by the end of October.
nanook1934 - I killed a mosquito while I was out splitting kindling yesterday ... and I saw a swarm of those little flies outside my window on Thursday. I am hoping that next springs crop is hatching now and won't have time to breed before the freeze gets them.
Update on the Midwest. Winter storm watch for Mon. for central Minn.
Maybe 2-3" here in Twin Cities.
Jon
Henry: Going off topic...that's one thing you'll never be able to accuse me of doing.
And on that note...
Any Palin news today?
If anybody didn't already know there is an El Nino in the Pacific Ocean this fall, and NOAA's Climate Prediction Center is calling for it to continue until next spring. Chinooks are very common in interior Alaska during El Nino years due to a more active Bering Sea Storm track. This could imply a drier, milder winter here in the interior. 2004 was the last El Nino year. The El Nino/La Nina cycle is 3-6 years, so it seems like we were due.
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/
http://www.cpc.noaa.gov/products/precip/...
"El Nino is Spanish for... the Nino!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEoHz56jW...
So much for global warming.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/natur...
According to Al Gore we were suppose to have ever increasing hurricanes, and yet so far this year we have only had two small ones.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/2009atlan.shtml
Winter better get here soon, I'm almost out of coconut oil!
I'm hoping to wake up one morning and see my car completely buried. I'm missing having to shovel out my car to go to the store.
Winter: Bring It On!!!!!
snogoqueen,
The low number of hurricanes in the Atlantic this year is another result of the El Nino in the Pacific. During El Nino years increased ridging and a shifted jet stream tend to weaken Atlantic hurricanes and steer them away from the U.S.
In reference to Al Gore's statements on hurricanes, I believe he based a lot of his assumptions on older research published by the IPCC in the late nineties. The latest publications from the IPCC have indicated fewer but more severe hurricanes expected over the long haul in the Atlantic if "climate change" were occuring. Year to year number's wouldn't be the way to indicate evidence for or against if either assumption were to be true, just because of the complications shorter range climate cycles (El Nino/La Nina, PNO, NAO, etc.) may have on any hurricane season. IPCC has even indicated that hurricane frequency should not be used as evidence to prove or disprove "climate change". Not that everything IPCC says is gospel...but I'd take them over Al Gore any day of the week.
"Is the earth beginning that pole flip thing? You know, where the poles switch and Alaska returns to being rain forests, balmy, etc.?"
Wow! Just wow. I'm really hoping that you are just having some fun here rather than thinking this happens.
As for the global warming people.... Once again, weather has little to do with climatology. If the average of all the temperatures from the whole world, over the course of a year is tending to go up, it is called global warming (global refers to where you are getting the temperatures from - not that the whole globe is warming). The difference in the global average between an ice age and, say the age of the dinosaurs is a few degrees. This is much less than the day/night variation (much less seasonal variation) - so you won't see it. We see climate change by watching the water levels, glaciers and over-all weather patterns, not by looking at the thermometer. I know you have fun picking on Al Gore when we have a cold snap, but it really does makes you look dumb.
Snow please!!!
DrKaren - The "pole flip thing" is the magnetic poles, not the axial poles.
The flipping poles flip often.
--
Best of the day! Kill a newspaper and save at tree!
And!
For every warm day, there is 1 less cold day.
:)
Good thing there is no such thing as global warming
Thank you Golden & DrKaren: It's an important debate that is far from over.
Weather service says highs of thirty-five by week's end. Quit bellyaching about global warming and just go outside and enjoy yourselves. The clock is ticking.
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