Unusual weather trivia that is hard to google

[Phil]

Yes, very good information.

 

I admit I'm still on the fence on this one (and that probably won't change). I agree that the new station might be much more prone to radiational cooling, but it's hard for me to picture that it would be enough to make Portland (on the coast) that much colder than the historic cold spots in the interior (Portland was even colder than Mt Washington on that date). I guess cloud cover or something Phil was referring to might explain it though.

 

I'll likely stay on the fence on this one (which means I am not discounting the possibility that the readings are 100% accurate), but the above is very good information.

 

Anyway, something similar to what you are describing is almost certain true of the Salt Lake International Airport station.

 

The station existing between 1874-1928 was in a much warmer spot, at least when it comes to low temperatures. The station from 1928 to present is in a colder location for low temperatures, but urbanization has probably negated the radiational cooling potential. I don't think that there is even a slim chance, at least until the next ice age, that Salt Lake will again get even close to the -30 recorded on 2/9/1933. Interestingly, the downtown station only reached -10 during that cold snap, which demonstrates what you are talking about quite well.

Keep in mind, the more elevated interior will often fail to decouple as efficiently as the coastal region, especially under a NW/SE oriented pressure gradient (not to mention the fresh snowcover, which was probably deeper near the coast).

 

It happens all the time around here when winds are W/NW in the winter. Very common for (non-UHI) areas near the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay to be colder than the interior cold spots like KMRB et al on nights with light offshore streamflow, under a perpendicular pressure gradient and low dewpoints.

 

It’s perfectly normal, actually.

[Scott]

Moving on, which state is next on the list? The only western states left are Montana, Alaska, and Hawaii.   Several dubious readings are in all three.  

[wx_statman]

Anyway, do you still believe the -36 reading in Eagle Nest?  I think that is one that I do think is dubious (especially with the high of 47).  I don't know if you have changed your mind on this one, or if you still consider it to be plausible.  

 

I'd say throw it out. Just to be on the safe side. There had never been a reading lower than -14 in New Mexico in April prior to 1945 (since the monthly reports were first issued in NM in 1892). And in April 1945, the next lowest reading was -15. The -29 at Taylor Park, CO on 4/5/1945 is the closest thing to corroboration that we have, but it's still iffy for a location in NM to hit -36. 

[wx_statman]

Keep in mind, the more elevated interior will often fail to decouple as efficiently as the coastal region, especially under a NW/SE oriented pressure gradient (not to mention the fresh snowcover, which was probably deeper near the coast).

 

It happens all the time around here when winds are W/NW in the winter. Very common for (non-UHI) areas near the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay to be colder than the interior cold spots like KMRB et al on nights with light offshore streamflow, under a perpendicular pressure gradient and low dewpoints.

 

It’s perfectly normal, actually.

 

That makes sense. Under these conditions, the low-lying coastal plain acts as a cold drainage sink. The ocean is neutralized by light offshore flow and snowcover.

[wx_statman]

Moving on, which state is next on the list? The only western states left are Montana, Alaska, and Hawaii.   Several dubious readings are in all three.  

 

https://www.infoplease.com/science-health/weather/alaska-temperature-extremes

 

For Alaska, I can add these (preliminary) candidates right away:

 

JAN: 66 in 2018 (Annette & Metlakatla 6S)

MAY: 92 in 1947 (Fort Wainwright & Eielson Field), in addition to 92 in 1960 at Ladd AFB

JUN: 98 in 1969 (Richardson)

OCT: 76 in 2003 (Dry Creek, Fairbanks 9ENE, Delta Junction 20SE)

[Scott]

https://www.infoplease.com/science-health/weather/alaska-temperature-extremes

 

For Alaska, I can add these (preliminary) candidates right away:

 

JAN: 66 in 2018 (Annette & Metlakatla 6S)

MAY: 92 in 1947 (Fort Wainwright & Eielson Field), in addition to 92 in 1960 at Ladd AFB

JUN: 98 in 1969 (Richardson)

OCT: 76 in 2003 (Dry Creek, Fairbanks 9ENE, Delta Junction 20SE)

 

Also, check out the March 2016 heat wave (by Alaska standards).   That one blew all other March warm spells out of the water.   Before the March 2016 heat wave, there were no temperatures recorded in Alaska above 69, but even then the 69 supposedly recorded at Dutch Harbor in 1936 is very dubious.  No other Alaska readings were above 57 that month and Dutch Harbor isn't a warm location. 

 

 

I'm not sure which one to include as the record though since RAWS are considered to be unofficial.   They do seem to collaborate one another though.  71 at Klawoc was the highest non-RAWS reading. 

[Scott]

88 at Tree Point in September 1940 is very dubious.  The next highest reading in September is 76, at least that I can find.   Other than the 88 in September, the next highest reading at anytime of the year is 85.   In some states, the yearly record highs for some cities are in September, but these seems to never happen in Alaska.  I believe the latest record high is on 8/25 at St Paul Island (influenced by the Bering Sea). 

 

In 1957, three locations in Alaska hit 85 in September.   These were Fort Wainwright, Ladd AAB, and University Experimental Station.   I believe these are the real records for September.

 

The -1 in June at Anaktuvuk Pass (6/25/1967) needs to be thrown out.   There are too many weird readings at that station (including a -11 on 6/28/1971, -12 on 6/28/1971, and -17 on 6/30/1971). Also on 6/30/1971, Anaktuvuk Pass supposedly had a high of 1.  The next day the record coldest high is 52.   I don't think the station is trustworthy.  Further, the next coldest reading in Alaska during 6/1967 was 19.  Also, on June 6/25/1967, most low temperatures were in the 40's and 50's in that region.  

 

Hayes River also has a bogus reading of 0 on 6/26/2009.  Holy Cross has another bogus reading of 2 on 6/17/1969.

 

The real June record is probably 4 at Barrow on 6/6/1969 unless anyone knows of a lower reading than that.

 

Umiat reported a 5 on 8/15/1997.  I don't know what to think of this one.  Umiat is a very cold location, but other stations in Alaska didn't get nearly that cold.   It still could be valid.

 

I still don't buy the 99 at Tanakee Springs on 8/1/1976, but we hashed that out already previously.

[wx_statman]

Also, check out the March 2016 heat wave (by Alaska standards).   That one blew all other March warm spells out of the water.   Before the March 2016 heat wave, there were no temperatures recorded in Alaska above 69, but even then the 69 supposedly recorded at Dutch Harbor in 1936 is very dubious.  No other Alaska readings were above 57 that month and Dutch Harbor isn't a warm location. 

 

ak.JPG

 

I'm not sure which one to include as the record though since RAWS are considered to be unofficial.   They do seem to collaborate one another though.  71 at Klawoc was the highest non-RAWS reading. 

 

Nice. I wasn't aware of that one. I would go with the 71 at Klawock, since it's official. 

[Scott]

I would go with the 71 at Klawock, since it's official.

Yes, I agree. I still wonder, even if unofficial, how accurate those RAWS readings are. They do seem to have collaboration. 76 in Alaska in March would be incredible.

[wx_statman]

88 at Tree Point in September 1940 is very dubious.  The next highest reading in September is 76, at least that I can find.   Other than the 88 in September, the next highest reading at anytime of the year is 85.   In some states, the yearly record highs for some cities are in September, but these seems to never happen in Alaska.  I believe the latest record high is on 8/25 at St Paul Island (influenced by the Bering Sea). 

 

In 1957, three locations in Alaska hit 85 in September.   These were Fort Wainwright, Ladd AAB, and University Experimental Station.   I believe these are the real records for September.

 

The -1 in June at Anaktuvuk Pass (6/25/1967) needs to be thrown out.   There are too many weird readings at that station (including a -11 on 6/28/1971, -12 on 6/28/1971, and -17 on 6/30/1971). Also on 6/30/1971, Anaktuvuk Pass supposedly had a high of 1.  The next day the record coldest high is 52.   I don't think the station is trustworthy.  Further, the next coldest reading in Alaska during 6/1967 was 19.  Also, on June 6/25/1967, most low temperatures were in the 40's and 50's in that region.  

 

Hayes River also has a bogus reading of 0 on 6/26/2009.  Holy Cross has another bogus reading of 2 on 6/17/1969.

 

The real June record is probably 4 at Barrow on 6/6/1969 unless anyone knows of a lower reading than that.

 

Umiat reported a 5 on 8/15/1997.  I don't know what to think of this one.  Umiat is a very cold location, but other stations in Alaska didn't get nearly that cold.   It still could be valid.

 

I still don't buy the 99 at Tanakee Springs on 8/1/1976, but we hashed that out already previously.

 

Agreed that the 88 @ Tree Point on 9/8/1940 is dubious. Annette has never exceeded 82 in September, and Prince Rupert has never topped 81. Tree Point is between those two locations & is similarly positioned with regard to topography just to the east/water to the west. In September 1940, even Bella Coola, BC didn't top 85, and that location is much further south & also prone to downsloping. There was indeed a big ridge that month (including the latest 100 on record @ Kennewick, WA on 9/9/1940), but I think the real maximum at Tree Point was closer to 80. 

 

Having said all that, downslope heating can be very localized...so you never really know in this particular type of situation. It's easier to dismiss high summertime readings in the desert SW (for example) since we can rely on basic adiabatic lapse rates & proximity corroboration most of the time...not so much here (as you're probably well aware).

 

You might be right about the Sep. 1957 readings being the real monthly record for AK. The 84 at Fairbanks provides great corroboration. 

 

Downtown Juneau supposedly reached 85 on 9/11/1895 but this reading doesn't look credible to me. Readings in BC don't support it, and there were almost no other stations in Alaska at the time to provide corroboration. 

 

The Anaktuvuk Pass readings from 1971 are some sort of database glitch. You'll notice the 1/-17 appears on the 30th of several months that year - 4/30/1971, 5/30/1971, 9/30/1971, etc. They're clearly observations from sometime in winter that got spliced into the wrong dates somehow.

 

Agreed that 4 in Barrow on 6/6/1969 is probably the real June record. Crazy that it occurred less than two weeks before the 98 @ Richardson. 

 

The Umiat reading (5 on 8/15/1997) is an observation error. If you look at the original COOP form, it shows a high of 69, low of 5, and a 7am observation temperature of 57! I bet the actual low was something like 45. 

[wx_statman]

Yes, I agree. I still wonder, even if unofficial, how accurate those RAWS readings are. They do seem to have collaboration. 76 in Alaska in March would be incredible.

 

I'm sure those readings are accurate. The sticking point with RAWS maximums is the lack of fan-aspiration...but this is not a problem if there's a breeze blowing. Given that mid-70's in March were almost certainly fueled by downslope winds, there would have been enough ventilation to keep these readings accurate. 

[wx_statman]

BTW, that 68 degree high @ Cordova Airport on 3/31/2016 was truly incredible. Their previous March record had been 59! 

[Scott]

The Umiat reading (5 on 8/15/1997) is an observation error. If you look at the original COOP form, it shows a high of 69, low of 5, and a 7am observation temperature of 57! I bet the actual low was something like 45.

Good to know. I wondered about that reading.

 

That would leave the 8 recorded at Bonanza Mine in 1922 as the lowest official low for August. I couldn't find any information on the weather station there, but since Bonanza Mine sits at around 6000 feet, I can see it hitting 8 in August there.

 

Of course if Denali records were used, they would break all these records on regular basis. Even in July temperatures have dropped to at least -23.

[Scott]

BTW, that 68 degree high @ Cordova Airport on 3/31/2016 was truly incredible. Their previous March record had been 59!

If you are interested, the previous record at Klawok Airport was also 59 and they hit 71. This was only 11 degrees from their all time record as well.

[wx_statman]

Good to know. I wondered about that reading.

 

That would leave the 8 recorded at Bonanza Mine in 1922 as the lowest official low for August. I couldn't find any information on the weather station there, but since Bonanza Mine sits at around 6000 feet, I can see it hitting 8 in August there.

 

Of course if Denali records were used, they would break all these records on regular basis. Even in July temperatures have dropped to at least -23.

 

Bonanza Mine was owned by the Kennecott Copper Corp., who was also the observer of record. Taken at 5,800 feet. I spent the summer of 2003 in that area as part of a college field program. The old mines are right by the town of McCarthy at the foot of Mt. Blackburn (which you can see in my profile picture). Gorgeous area!

 

That was a big cold snap in late Aug/early Sept. 1922. Even Copper Center at low elevation hit 12, and Fairbanks hit 17 on 9/1. 

[wx_statman]

If you are interested, the previous record at Klawok Airport was also 59 and they hit 71. This was only 11 degrees from their all time record as well.

 

That's incredible. The Cordova reading stuck out to me since it's in the main part of AK. That had to be the highest-ever reading in March outside of the panhandle.

[wx_statman]

As an aside, the mid-August 1969 cold snap was probably the most anomalous summer cold wave in AK history. This region experiences a rapid decrease in sunlight & increase in cold potential between mid and late August, so the 1969 event was off the charts for occurring so early. 

 

Clearwater hit 14 on 8/14/1969, Glennallen all the way down in south-central AK managed 17 on 8/16, and Eagle hit 18 on the 15th. 

 

Also interesting that this was the same summer that saw 4 in Barrow in June, followed by 98 in Richardson later that month...

[Phil]

The pattern that month says it all. Back then, the cold vortex would often leave Greenland/Baffin Bay and wander into Alaska/western Canada.

 

Nowadays it’s harder to budge.

 

[Scott]

The old mines are right by the town of McCarthy at the foot of Mt. Blackburn (which you can see in my profile picture). Gorgeous area!

 

 

Cool.  Yes, I am familiar with McCarthy and Mt. Blackburn is on my list of mountains that I want to climb.

 

That was a big cold snap in late Aug/early Sept. 1922. Even Copper Center at low elevation hit 12, and Fairbanks hit 17 on 9/1.

 

 

Yes, I saw that, but couldn't find any climate info on Bonanza Mine, at least on WRCC.   I did find it for Kennecott at 2210 feet elevation.   Kennecott was 18 on 9/1 (I couldn't find anything for 8/31), so I could see it being 8 at 5800 feet.  

 

 

As an aside, the mid-August 1969 cold snap was probably the most anomalous summer cold wave in AK history. 

 

 

Yes, impressive summer for records.   Besides Richardson, a lot of Alaskan locations had their record highs in June 1969.  Fairbanks hit 96, which is probably the highest reliable reading for that location.  I believe June 1969 may have more all time high records in Alaska than any other month, though June 2013 may have upset that record (I'd have to check).  

 

Another interesting thing about June 1969 is that it was very warm in central Alaska, but cooler than normal in much of northern Alaska.   

 

 

Downtown Juneau supposedly reached 85 on 9/11/1895 but this reading doesn't look credible to me. Readings in BC don't support it, and there were almost no other stations in Alaska at the time to provide corroboration. 

 

At that time period, the closest station that has data available might be Killisnoo, which isn't that far from Juneau.  It hit 61.  Killisnoo probably wouldn't get as warm as Juneau, but I agree that the 85 in Juneau is very dubious.  

[Scott]

The pattern that month says it all. Back then, the cold vortex would often leave Greenland/Baffin Bay and wander into Alaska/western Canada.

 

Nowadays it’s harder to budge.

 

 

Very interesting.  Alaska is indeed a big state, but your chart does show that it was very warm in the Aleutians and very cold in most of mainland Alaska.  Some of the areas that were very warm weren't that far from the areas that were very cold, at least in the big scheme of things. Maybe it isn't that unusual, but still interesting.  

[Scott]

September (Colorado) -2 1959 Fraser

 

 

Also at Red Feather Lakes (in the Front Range near the Wyoming border) in 1985.  Lots of impressive September lows happened that month including 17 in Denver, 8 in Cheyenne, and -2 in Laramie.  

[wx_statman]

Yes, impressive summer for records.   Besides Richardson, a lot of Alaskan locations had their record highs in June 1969.  Fairbanks hit 96, which is probably the highest reliable reading for that location.  I believe June 1969 may have more all time high records in Alaska than any other month, though June 2013 may have upset that record (I'd have to check).  

 

It looks like mid-June 1969 has a slight edge in terms of all-time record highs (at least at longer-term stations), when compared to mid-June 2013. However, June 2013 had a second heat wave later in the month that produced a few more all-time records...so the final tally between the two months is probably about even.

[wx_statman]

I'm wondering about the RAWS readings up in Alaska during the mid-June 2004 heat wave. Thorne Bay hit 101 on 6/18, and Helm hit 99 on 6/19. These are the same RAWS stations that hit 76 in March 2016, so it seems as though they're especially favored for downslope warming. The June 2004 heat wave had credible readings of 93 in Annette (all-time record) and 98 at Mayo Road in the Yukon, which appears to be the all-time record for the Yukon Territory (thanks to "Glacier" for digging up this info and posting it a couple years ago on this forum). Both Tok & Tok School COOP's hit 96 during that heat wave, and Eagle reached 94. It's certainly possible that downslope warming would have produced readings close to 100 in favored spots. 

 

It's very possible that the 101 @ Thorne Bay on 6/18/2004 represents the highest reliably measured maximum in Alaskan history. That's assuming there was a downslope breeze blowing to ventilate the thermistor, and that it was properly calibrated to begin with. Good reasons for this reading to be unofficial, as all RAWS readings are, but it does make me wonder. 

 

None of the 100's measured at old COOP's in Alaska are reliable, it isn't even a question in my opinion. We have:

 

104 on 6/7/1936 @ Ruby

102 on 6/26/1916 @ Camp #6

100 on 6/20/1915 @ Anchorage

100 on 6/27/1915 @ Fort Yukon

100 on 7/30/1907 @ Teikhill

 

In addition:

 

99 on 7/28/1919 @ University Exp. Station (aka Fairbanks)

99 on 7/28/1915 @ Klukwan

98 on 6/17/1936 @ Nenana

 

All of these readings are clearly over-exposed, in my opinion. It's funny that the Fort Yukon reading got singled out and placed on a pedestal as the state record - when it was just one of many unreliable readings in Alaska from that era. Why not go with the 104 at Ruby or the 102 at Camp #6, if we're sticking with bogus COOP readings? 

 

The most reliable candidates that we have are:

 

99 on 8/1/1976 @ Tenakee Springs COOP (possibly occurred on 7/31)

98 on 7/31/1976 @ Haines Airport

98 on 6/16/1969 @ Richardson COOP

 

Also of note, the June 2013 heat wave produced 98 at both Bentalit Lodge Snotel & Bentalit RAWS, as well as 97 at Amber Lake COOP. 

 

 

 

[wx_statman]

https://www.infoplease.com/science-health/weather/alaska-temperature-extremes

 

For Alaska, I can add these (preliminary) candidates right away:

 

JAN: 66 in 2018 (Annette & Metlakatla 6S)

MAY: 92 in 1947 (Fort Wainwright & Eielson Field), in addition to 92 in 1960 at Ladd AFB

JUN: 98 in 1969 (Richardson)

OCT: 76 in 2003 (Dry Creek, Fairbanks 9ENE, Delta Junction 20SE)

 

Also, Allakaket hit -68 in March 1911, in addition to -68 in Kobuk in March 1971. 

[Scott]

It's very possible that the 101 @ Thorne Bay on 6/18/2004 represents the highest reliably measured maximum in Alaskan history. That's assuming there was a downslope breeze blowing to ventilate the thermistor, and that it was properly calibrated to begin with. Good reasons for this reading to be unofficial, as all RAWS readings are, but it does make me wonder.

 

It seems that it may have been overexposed or under ventilated. There are several weather stations in the vicinity. The next highest reading I can find is 92 at Klawok Airport on 6/20/2004? Were there any higher than this?

It's funny that the Fort Yukon reading got singled out and placed on a pedestal as the state record - when it was just one of many unreliable readings in Alaska from that era. Why not go with the 104 at Ruby or the 102 at Camp #6, if we're sticking with bogus COOP readings?

 

I also think the Fort Yukon reading was over exposed, but at least FY is in a location that could see temperatures near 100 (unlike the 100 reported in Anchorage). Unfortunately, the Fort Yukon station stopped operating in 1990. It would have been interesting see see what the station would have read during some of the impressive heat waves since 1990.

 

99 on 8/1/1976 @ Tenakee Springs COOP (possibly occurred on 7/31)

98 on 7/31/1976 @ Haines Airport

98 on 6/16/1969 @ Richardson COOP

 

I still go with the 98 at Richardson myself. The Haines reading might be accurate, but is still a bit of a stretch in my opinion. I just don't see the 99 at Tenakee Springs, even with down sloping. None of the other weather stations (there are several) in the vicinity have even gotten close to 99. The next highest reading I know of was the 88 at Sitka (which is still very impressive for the location).

 

---------------------------------------------------------

 

Anyway, Livengood Alaska has an official all time high of 91 on 4/3/1965. I wonder how that one slipped through the cracks and is still on record? I remember seeing it in a weather almanac decades ago and before the internet existed. I wonder why it wasn't purged long ago, especially when the data was converted to digital.

[BLI snowman]

1944-1945 had 89.9 inches, which is above normal, but not off the charts.

 

You may be thinking of the 1950's?  They had two very high snow years.    105.5 inches in 1951-1952 and 166.5 inches in 1955-1956. At the time, the 1955-1956 season was close to record breaking, but then the 1970-1971 came and shattered all records with 141.5.

 

That still wouldn't explain why no such outlying occurrences were recorded before the early 1940's or after the early 1950's in the same location (unless the weather station was moved significantly).  For sure the station has been in close to the same location since 1940.   

 

The COOP station is only about one mile from the airport station.  

 

Before and after that time period, the cold snaps at Portland align nicely and so does the collaboration with other stations.

 

Anyway, I did find some collaboration on the 3/1950 reading.   Belfast, also on the coast recorded a -18 in 3/1950.

 

 

In regards to 2/1943, Brunswick, ME did report a -35 minimum on 2/16. The Portland reading seems low, but it was likely at least in the neighborhood of being correct.

[wx_statman]

It seems that it may have been overexposed or under ventilated.  There are several weather stations in the vicinity.  The next highest reading I can find is 92 at Klawok Airport on 6/20/2004?  Were there any higher than this?

 

None that I can see. Downsloping can be highly localized though...I'm always hesitant to outright dismiss high readings in downsloping zones, unless the high pressure ridge in place clearly doesn't support those readings.

 

I also think the Fort Yukon reading was over exposed, but at least FY is in a location that could see temperatures near 100 (unlike the 100 reported in Anchorage).   Unfortunately, the Fort Yukon station stopped operating in 1990.  It would have been interesting see see what the station would have read during some of the impressive heat waves since 1990.

 

 

Yeah, it's a shame that station went offline. They also went offline in early January 1934, right before the big cold wave that supposedly dropped that area to -78 (when Fairbanks hit -66). They came back online in 1938. Fort Yukon has what I consider a legitimate 97 degree reading on the books, on 7/25/1955. 

 

By the way, a newer station does exist in Fort Yukon. Its maximum happened to occur during the June 2004 heat wave, but only 90 degrees. It's possible that this particular spot in town has different microclimate tendencies than the other location, where the original station was located. 

 

I still go with the 98 at Richardson myself.  The Haines reading might be accurate, but is still a bit of a stretch in my opinion.  I just don't see the 99 at Tenakee Springs, even with down sloping.  None of the other weather stations (there are several) in the vicinity have even gotten close to 99.

 

 

I have the same reasoning here as with the June 2004 readings. It's hard to dismiss downslope maximums due to their highly localized nature. But yeah, this could have certainly been a bogus reading just the same. If I had to apply any sort of statistical rigor, I would probably dismiss the Tenakee Springs reading. Since it does stick out so much.

 

Basically, I would apply the same logic that ACIS uses in their QC algorithm. The 99 at Tenakee Springs was QC'd out and no longer appears in the WRCC database (or xmACIS monthly summaries) for that reason. It sucks to see extreme readings removed from a weather hobbyist perspective, especially ones which may have actually been legitimate, but it's the appropriate thing to do from a scientific/statistical analysis perspective. 

 

So yeah, long story short, you're probably right that the 99 @ Tenakee Springs needs to be dismissed/asterisked. 

[Scott]

In regards to 2/1943, Brunswick, ME did report a -35 minimum on 2/16. The Portland reading seems low, but it was likely at least in the neighborhood of being correct.

 

Yes, I'll think I'll just admit that Portland really did hit -39 in 2/1943.

[Scott]

So yeah, long story short, you're probably right that the 99 @ Tenakee Springs needs to be dismissed/asterisked

 

 

I wonder what the high in August would be if the Tanakee Springs reading is dismissed.   This is more complicated than it should be.

 

I did find the highest reading recorded in Alaska though.   Eielson Visitor Center high 140 in 8/2005, making this the highest reading on earth!  It should be the true state record.

 

Anyway,  Matanuska Valley 16 supposedly record a 98 on 8/6/1966, but this seems very dubious.  The next highest Alaska reading was 85.

 

McKinley River (RAWS) had a 98 in 8/1995, but this one is not valid.   No other readings in Alaska were above 83 that month.   

 

Haines supposedly had a 95 on 8/1/1978, but looking through the data, I really believe that the Haines station may have had over-exposed readings between 1976 and 1978.   Haines had several readings in the low to mid 90's in August those years and then none since then.  Though they did happen during known warm spells, they don't seem that well collaborated with other stations.  I wouldn't rule them out completely, but I'm guessing that the readings were probably over exposed by at least a few degrees.  Other places in interior Alaska did get almost or as warm though, so there is is a possibility that they might be valid. 

 

Mankomen Lake supposedly record a 94 on 8/12/2005, but the record high in July is only 84.   There were a lot of high readings in 8/1995 though, so maybe some are valid.  It seems like this one might be valid.  

 

Some high readings (Some were mentioned earlier):

 

Upper Tsaina River Snotel = 99

Thorne Bay RAWS = 95

 

Maybe some are valid?  Which ones though?  It's hard to say, especially with RAWS and Snotels.

 

At least three locations have recorded temperature of 93 in August: 

 

College Observatory on 8/6/1994 

Eagle on 8/6/1977

Tok on 8/6/1994

 

These are almost certainly valid.  

 

[wx_statman]

Haines supposedly had a 95 on 8/1/1978, but looking through the data, I really believe that the Haines station may have had over-exposed readings between 1976 and 1978.   Haines had several readings in the low to mid 90's in August those years and then none since then.  Though they did happen during known warm spells, they don't seem that well collaborated with other stations.  I wouldn't rule them out completely, but I'm guessing that the readings were probably over exposed by at least a few degrees.  Other places in interior Alaska did get almost or as warm though, so there is is a possibility that they might be valid. 

 

Good info on Haines. I wasn't aware of the possible issues at that station. Good thing you checked...I got lazy!

 

Indeed, something weird was happening at Haines in the 1970s. They hit 93+ in 4 straight years (1975-78), and never once since then. That's odd. Either the station was moved or the equipment was fixed/better sheltered after 1978. Very unlikely that all those 1970's readings were valid, even though they occurred during known heat waves. 

 

Regarding the "real" August record for Alaska, here are the most-likely-to-be-reliable candidates IMO (from official stations):

 

94 on 8/1/1976 @ Copper Center

93 on 8/6/1994 @ Tok

93 on 8/5/1994 @ Clearwater

93 on 8/5/1994 @ Fairbanks Int'l

93 on 8/6/1994 @ College Observatory

93 on 8/5/2017 @ Skagway Airport

 

There's a chance the Copper Center reading was actually recorded on 7/31. I would need to look into it. 

 

The Mankomen Lake reading from 2005 looks iffy, although Haines 40NW did hit 92 on 8/13/2005. Honorable mention - North Pole COOP had an impressively late 92 on 8/15/2010, along with two other COOP's hitting 92 that day (Ester 5NE & Aurora).

[wx_statman]

BTW, Scott & Erik (and anyone else who might be interested) - it just dawned on me today that I can easily run a monthly extremes report in xmACIS for any given state, for any month. Maybe you guys have already figured it out? Either way, on the xmACIS site (http://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/):

 

-go to multi-station

-then multi-station extremes

-set stations active to por-2018

-set analysis period to por-2018

-choose your variable

-set length of period to 1 day (highest avg for a day = the record high!)

-choose highest or lowest

-click more options

-use restrict date range to set whatever period you wish

-sort ascending/descending, etc. It's cool to sort by year too to see which records are the newest, which are the oldest, etc. 

-you can sort by state, county, CWA, climate zone, etc. 

 

I just did that for AK for 8/1 to 8/31 in order to isolate the highest temperatures for Aug. Worked like a charm! Should greatly help in looking up monthly extremes for each state. The only downside is that this approach won't capture readings that have been flagged and QC'd out. You'd still need to check the original state monthly climo reports to corroborate those. 

[Scott]

 

Indeed, something weird was happening at Haines in the 1970s. They hit 93+ in 4 straight years (1975-78), and never once since then. That's odd. Either the station was moved or the equipment was fixed/better sheltered after 1978. Very unlikely that all those 1970's readings were valid, even though they occurred during known heat waves. 

 

 

The station looks like it was in the same location since 1973 at least, so I would guess that it would be the equipment.

[wx_statman]

I looked at Feb. in Alaska. Was wondering if the 66 from 1992 @ Petersburg was the real monthly record or not, considering AK just hit 66 at two locations this past January...February should theoretically produce warmer readings than January. 

 

Nope. The (most-likely-to-be-reliable) candidates are:

 

66 on 2/27/1992 @ Petersburg

65 on 2/27/1992 @ Wrangell

65 on 2/9/1993 @ Annette

 

It looks like the Jan. 2018 warm spell was just really anomalous. 

[wx_statman]

April was worth a look, and July as well.

 

For April, the 82 @ Annette in 1976 still looks like the real monthly record. The (most-likely-to-be-reliable) candidates are:

 

82 on 4/29/1976 @ Annette

81 on 4/24/2005 @ Klawock

79 on 4/29/1976 @ Sitka

 

July is a question mark now, since apparently Haines wasn't a reliable station in the 1970s. The (most-likely-to-be-reliable) candidates for July are:

 

97 on 7/25/1955 @ Fort Yukon

96 on 7/9/2009 @ Glennallen

 

(actually, the Glennallen reading looks suspect now that I've taken a closer look)

 

Fort Yukon is the likely record, IMO. Other readings on 7/25/1955 were 95 @ Ladd AFB, 94 all the way up at Allakaket, and 93 @ Fairbanks. 

[Scott]

I looked at Feb. in Alaska. Was wondering if the 66 from 1992 @ Petersburg was the real monthly record or not, considering AK just hit 66 at two locations this past January...February should theoretically produce warmer readings than January. 

 

 

This brings up a curiosity that I have had.  It is actually common for locations in Alaska to have higher records in January than in February, March, November, and December.   While this may be expected in places like St Paul Island, Barrow, or Prudhoe Bay, it is common all over Alaska.  I haven't gone through all the WRCC basis, but before the internet existed, I hand copied all the station records I could find for Alaska using sources at the library.

 

I had a total of 51 stations.  Here are the months that had the lowest monthly record high for the stations:

 

January = 8  lowest monthly record highs

February = 10 lowest monthly record highs

March = 5 lowest monthly record highs

November = 3 lowest monthly record highs

December = 25 lowest monthly record highs

 

I don't know why it is so common for January to have higher record highs than February, March, November, and December, but it is.  You would think that it might be one or two state wide warm spells tipping the balance, but it isn't.  

 

This is true in all parts of Alaska.  Here are random examples from most regions of the state:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These aren't isolated anomalies either and it seems to be at least as common as not.

 

 

[wx_statman]

This brings up a curiosity that I have had.  It is actually common for locations in Alaska to have higher records in January than in February, March, November, and December.   While this may be expected in places like St Paul Island, Barrow, or Prudhoe Bay, it is common all over Alaska.  I haven't gone through all the WRCC basis, but before the internet existed, I hand copied all the station records I could find for Alaska using sources at the library.

 

I had a total of 51 stations.  Here are the months that had the lowest monthly record high for the stations:

 

January = 8  lowest monthly record highs

February = 10 lowest monthly record highs

March = 5 lowest monthly record highs

November = 3 lowest monthly record highs

December = 25 lowest monthly record highs

 

I don't know why it is so common for January to have higher record highs than February, March, November, and December, but it is.  You would think that it might be one or two state wide warm spells tipping the balance, but it isn't.  

 

This is true in all parts of Alaska.  Here are random examples from most regions of the state:

 

Anchorage.JPG

 

Barrow.JPG

 

Bethel.JPG

 

Bettles.JPG

 

Fairbanks.JPG

 

Juneau.JPG

 

McGrath.JPG

 

These aren't isolated anomalies either and it seems to be at least as common as not.

 

 

 

That's interesting. I've noticed it before to some degree. I'm not sure what process explains this pattern either. I.e., why would warm air advection over Alaska be preferred in January over December or February? Slightly different storm tracks? Downstream/upstream jet stream configurations? Your guess is as good as mine. 

[BLI snowman]

That's interesting. I've noticed it before to some degree. I'm not sure what process explains this pattern either. I.e., why would warm air advection over Alaska be preferred in January over December or February? Slightly different storm tracks? Downstream/upstream jet stream configurations? Your guess is as good as mine. 

 

January seems to just have a penchant for delivering the most significant upper level blocks in the modern era. Take 2009, 1981, or 1961. Massive full latitude ridges that brought really extreme height anomalies to all of the West Coast.

[Scott]

I'm not sure what process explains this pattern either. I.e., why would warm air advection over Alaska be preferred in January over December or February? Slightly different storm tracks? Downstream/upstream jet stream configurations? Your guess is as good as mine

 

 

I don't know, but it is strange.  In places like Barrow, it can be expected that January would often get warmer than February, but even then why December? 

 

Barrow Airport has risen above freezing (33 or above) 5 years in January, 2 years in February, 2 years in March, and 1 year in December.

 

The only area that I can think of a good explanation is the Yukon River Valley (including Fairbanks).  While January averages the coldest month, most or all of the warm spells come from Chinooks off the Alaska Range.  All winter months are probably equally prone to Chinooks.  Still, it is interesting that January is the only month between November and February that it has risen above 50 in more than one year. 

 

January seems to just have a penchant for delivering the most significant upper level blocks in the modern era.

 

True, but why?

[BLI snowman]

 

 

 

True, but why?

January seems to just have a penchant for delivering the most significant upper level blocks in the modern era.

 

 

Better atmospheric and tropical forcings at that stage (mid-season), I would imagine. It's a relatively stable month from that standpoint with less inter-seasonal/solar transition, so things are really able to pop out when the conditions allow for it.

 

Historically January has definitely had the most dramatic swings across a large swath of Western North America.

 

Fairbanks is actually a great example. Their warmest January mean on record is 18.1 in 1981 and their coldest is -31.2 in 1934. That's a pretty stunning 49.1 degree spread. 

 

February on the other hand only has a 41.2 degree spread (15.9 in 1980 versus -25.3 in 1979). December has even less range with 37.2 (9.0 in 2017 versus -28.2 in 1956).

 

So January easily has the greatest range, warmest extreme, and coldest extreme. It seems to indicate that it's a month in which well rooted atmospheric blocking makes all the difference.

[erik1974]

Also at Red Feather Lakes (in the Front Range near the Wyoming border) in 1985.  Lots of impressive September lows happened that month including 17 in Denver, 8 in Cheyenne, and -2 in Laramie.  

       Thanks for the info Scott.  I will add to my list.