Tanacross #Dene #Language #Alaska
Things you can do with wood:
tsets niɬdzedekt’ox "I'm splitting wood"
tsets dįhjaayh "you split wood for kindling"
tsets tinttheeɬ "you’ll chop the wood"
tsets ihtl’ęyh "I’m sawing wood"
Wunenh Ch’et’ą̌ą’ Dit-tsiig tah tsets niɬdzedekt’úux "I usually split wood in September"
The Chena River in downtown Fairbanks is at the highest level on record (since 1948) at this point in the season. No wonder: total rainfall for the month through the 19th:
Fairbanks Aprt: 3.80", UAF: 4.03"
South Fox: 4.41"
Keystone Ridge (Murphy Dome area): 6.60"
Munson Ridge (south of Chena Hot Springs): 8.9"
Graphic courtesy NWS/APRFC
@anisian @mivox
#akwx #weather #hydrology
Arctic-wide sea ice extent minimum was very likely reached earlier this week. Ties with last year for the 11th lowest minimum extent since 1979. Details in the latest from the Alaska and Arctic Climate newsletter. Available on Substack and Beehiiv. @Climatologist49 @ZLabe
https://alaskaclimate.substack.com/p/arctic-2026-sea-ice-minimum
https://alaska-arctic-climate.beehiiv.com/p/arctic-2026-sea-ice-minimum
Sea ice extent in the Chukchi Sea (northwest of Alaska) is getting close to the lowest of the year, slightly below 2024 but higher than last year in NSIDC data. @Climatologist49 @ZLabe
Utqiaġvik, Alaska has received 0.80 inches (20.3mm) of rain between Thursday afternoon and 10am AKDT Friday.This is already the highest 24-hour precipitation in September on record at Utqiaġvik, breaking the previous record of 0.75 inches (19.1mm) in Sep 2021. Climate observations since 1920. @Climatologist49 @cinderbdt
News: AGU provides critical support for the independent Arctic Report Card and the Card has new online home:
https://news.agu.org/press-release/arctic-report-card-2026-finds-critical-support-from-agu/
Autumn colors don't last long in Interior Alaska, but while we've got them it is gorgeous. Sunday morning FAA webcam view at Central (northeast of Fairbanks). @anisian @mivox @Climatologist49
The U.S. National Ice Center's Northwest Passage (connecting the northwest Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean) sea ice analysis product was last updated three weeks ago. This is not helpful.
@Climatologist49 @ZLabe
The last time El Niño was as strong as it is now, at this time of year, was in 1997. Here's a comparison of global sea surface temperatures on August 26, 2026 compared to same date in 1997 in NOAA data, warm colors=this year warmer. Most of the global oceans are warmer than 29 years ago, with the northwest Pacific, western Atlantic and the Mediterranean much warmer.
@Climatologist49
The rapid drop of sea ice extent in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas during early August has leveled out, and ice extent is now close to the 1991-2020 median in NSIDC. The slow-down is the result of low concentration ice being moved around by currents and the wind. @ZLabe @Climatologist49
NOAA terminated support for the Arctic Report Card last week. My commentary on why the Report Card is important to Alaska and the United States
Update on mid-August sea ice conditions around the Arctic in the latest from the Alaska and Arctic Climate newsletter. Available on beehiiv and substack. @Climatologist49 @ZLabe
https://alaska-arctic-climate.beehiiv.com/p/august-2026-sea-ice-update
https://alaskaclimate.substack.com/p/august-2026-sea-ice-update
Ongoing sea ice melt resulted in a big increase in low concentration ice and open water in the seas north and northwest of Alaska during the second week in August. Loss was especially dramatic in the Chukchi Sea, where after having the highest extent in 20+ years for most of July and the first days of August, extent is now below the 1991-2020 median in NSIDC data. @Climatologist49 @ZLabe
Sea surface temperature departure from from the 1991-2020 baseline around Alaska show increasing areas that warmer than normal in the Gulf of Alaska and western Bering Sea. Eastern Bering Sea still mostly cooler than normal. North of the Bering Strait, waters cooler than normal except areas that have been sea ice free for a while. Data courtesy NOAA/PSL/ESRL. @Climatologist49 @ZLabe
Monday was a tough day when we learned that NOAA was ending support for the Arctic Report Card. Since then we've received many expressions of solidarity, showing the value of the ARC to a wide audience. For that I am VERY grateful. @Climatologist49 @ZLabe
High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Friday. Record high temperature for August at Juneau Airport of 85F (29.4C) capping off a very warm day, especially for this late in the season across southern mainland Alaska eastward into the southern Yukon Territory and northwest British Columbia. Also the warmest day of the summer St. Lawrence Island and Bering Strait. #akwx #weather
The American Meteorological Society’s annual “State of the Climate” for 2025 is out.
From the Arctic Chapter: "The Arctic had its second-warmest year in the 126-year record. Surface air temperatures in the Arctic are increasing at roughly three times the global average rate.”
@ZLabe one of the authors on the sea surface temperature section.
https://ametsoc.net/sotc2025/05TheArctic_BAMS26_SotC2025.pdf
More than two thirds of the Arctic was warmer than normal in July, but high variability in precipitation. Details in the latest post from the Alaska and Arctic Climate newsletter. @Climatologist49
https://alaska-arctic-climate.beehiiv.com/p/arctic-july-2026-climate-summary
https://alaskaclimate.substack.com/p/arctic-july-2026-climate-summary
Very warm July (relative to normal) in western Siberia and much of central and eastern Canadian Arctic. Cooler than normal for most of Alaska, northwest Canada, the Russian far northeast and the Nordic Arctic. For the Arctic overall (land and seas north of 60ºN), third warmest July since 1950 in ERA5 reanalysis. @Climatologist49
Impressive Bering Sea storm for early August. Strong winds in the YK delta region Sunday night and soaking rain over the northern Bering Sea coast. GOES-W loop courtesy NWS. #akwx #weather #Summer2026 @Climatologist49 @anisian @mivox @Jdnome