Rick Thoman
@alaskawx.bsky.social
Climate specialist with ACCAP/IARC at UAF, highlighting Alaska and Arctic climate, environment & Indigenous cultures. Opinions are my own.
Alaska and Arctic Climate Newsletter: https://alaskaclimate.substack.com/
Alaska and Arctic Climate Newsletter: https://alaskaclimate.substack.com/
Pinned
Rick Thoman
@alaskawx.bsky.social
· Dec 3
Hot off the digital press: Alaska’s Changing Environment 2.0 is now online! Focused on observations and impacts to Alaskans. From warming air & ocean, ice & snow to salmon & berries. Please check it out. #akwx #Alaska #Climate #ClimateChange @climatologist49.bsky.social
uaf-accap.org/alaskas-chan...
uaf-accap.org/alaskas-chan...
Reposted by Rick Thoman
Blackcapped chickadees at feeder, -12°F; Fairbanks Ak.
December 9, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Blackcapped chickadees at feeder, -12°F; Fairbanks Ak.
Hi @akrherz.bsky.social
There doesn't seem to be a zoom in/out option on the IEM LSR mapper tool. Or perhaps I'm just not finding it. Thanks.
There doesn't seem to be a zoom in/out option on the IEM LSR mapper tool. Or perhaps I'm just not finding it. Thanks.
December 9, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Hi @akrherz.bsky.social
There doesn't seem to be a zoom in/out option on the IEM LSR mapper tool. Or perhaps I'm just not finding it. Thanks.
There doesn't seem to be a zoom in/out option on the IEM LSR mapper tool. Or perhaps I'm just not finding it. Thanks.
High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Monday. Quite cold in the eastern Interior and northern Yukon Territory/lower Mackenzie valley. Cold too over northern and central Southeast Alaska. Southcentral much milder but still locally windy. #akwx #weather @climatologist49.bsky.social
December 9, 2025 at 4:21 PM
High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Monday. Quite cold in the eastern Interior and northern Yukon Territory/lower Mackenzie valley. Cold too over northern and central Southeast Alaska. Southcentral much milder but still locally windy. #akwx #weather @climatologist49.bsky.social
The long duration severe wind storm in the lower Mat-Su valley is over. Winds picked up Friday evening and continued with little relief until early Tuesday morning. Widespread damage/power outages. Highest wind speeds were 100 mph at Palmer airport and 72 mph at Wasilla airport. #akwx #Windstorm
December 9, 2025 at 4:17 PM
The long duration severe wind storm in the lower Mat-Su valley is over. Winds picked up Friday evening and continued with little relief until early Tuesday morning. Widespread damage/power outages. Highest wind speeds were 100 mph at Palmer airport and 72 mph at Wasilla airport. #akwx #Windstorm
Reposted by Rick Thoman
The weather forecast for Whitehorse, Yukon, is interesting this morning: "Temperature falling to minus 33C this afternoon. Wind chill near minus 41C," then wind chills of -43C tonight and -44C tomorrow. (-44C is -47F)
December 9, 2025 at 2:37 PM
The weather forecast for Whitehorse, Yukon, is interesting this morning: "Temperature falling to minus 33C this afternoon. Wind chill near minus 41C," then wind chills of -43C tonight and -44C tomorrow. (-44C is -47F)
From UAF Troth Yeddha’ at 2:38pm Monday, and the sun says “bye-bye” for another day. Of course, if we were on the longitudinally correct time zone, this would be a 1:38pm photo. #akwx #AlaskaSky #Winter2026 @borealchrys.bsky.social @leahwrenn.bsky.social
December 8, 2025 at 11:46 PM
From UAF Troth Yeddha’ at 2:38pm Monday, and the sun says “bye-bye” for another day. Of course, if we were on the longitudinally correct time zone, this would be a 1:38pm photo. #akwx #AlaskaSky #Winter2026 @borealchrys.bsky.social @leahwrenn.bsky.social
Reposted by Rick Thoman
This is absolutely awful. This was one of the best resources for climate indicators data, and my go-to share for help answering public questions.
Luckily I captured some of them on my new U.S. climate page a few months ago: zacklabe.com/united-state...
Luckily I captured some of them on my new U.S. climate page a few months ago: zacklabe.com/united-state...
Additionally, it appears that all of EPA's previously extensive "indicators of climate change" pages have been scrubbed entirely. The pages no longer exist; there are numerous dead links on the current/live EPA site, and no indication they have been moved to a new URL.
December 8, 2025 at 7:59 PM
This is absolutely awful. This was one of the best resources for climate indicators data, and my go-to share for help answering public questions.
Luckily I captured some of them on my new U.S. climate page a few months ago: zacklabe.com/united-state...
Luckily I captured some of them on my new U.S. climate page a few months ago: zacklabe.com/united-state...
Reposted by Rick Thoman
Same pic, my version.
December 8, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Same pic, my version.
Low temperatures (ºF) thru about 945am AKST Monday in northeast Alaska and western Yukon Territory. #akwx @climatologist49.bsky.social
December 8, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Low temperatures (ºF) thru about 945am AKST Monday in northeast Alaska and western Yukon Territory. #akwx @climatologist49.bsky.social
Day three of the severe windstorm in the lower Mat-Su valley. Monday 7am and winds are still gusting over 70 mph at Palmer and Wasilla. Schools closed, lots of damage, 10k customers without power. #akwx #Winter2026 #WindStorm
December 8, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Day three of the severe windstorm in the lower Mat-Su valley. Monday 7am and winds are still gusting over 70 mph at Palmer and Wasilla. Schools closed, lots of damage, 10k customers without power. #akwx #Winter2026 #WindStorm
High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Sunday. Strong winds continued in parts of Southcentral and on the southeast Bering Sea coast. Cold from Interior Alaska eastward into northern Yukon Territory and lower MacKenzie valley. These temperatures are nowhere close to records. #akwx #weather
December 8, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Reposted by Rick Thoman
Reposted by Rick Thoman
Autumn over 25 percent of Alaska had less sunshine than any other autumn since 1979 (start of the satellite era), including most of Southcentral and the central and eastern Interior. On the other hand, much more sun than usual on St. Lawrence Island. #akwx #Climate H/T @climatologist49.bsky.social
December 7, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Autumn over 25 percent of Alaska had less sunshine than any other autumn since 1979 (start of the satellite era), including most of Southcentral and the central and eastern Interior. On the other hand, much more sun than usual on St. Lawrence Island. #akwx #Climate H/T @climatologist49.bsky.social
Reposted by Rick Thoman
🚨 Monday ice update - #Arctic sea ice extent is currently the lowest on record (JAXA data)
• about 840,000 km² below the 2010s mean
• about 1,390,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 2,050,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 2,510,000 km² below the 1980s mean
Graphics zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-i...
• about 840,000 km² below the 2010s mean
• about 1,390,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 2,050,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 2,510,000 km² below the 1980s mean
Graphics zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-i...
December 8, 2025 at 1:43 PM
🚨 Monday ice update - #Arctic sea ice extent is currently the lowest on record (JAXA data)
• about 840,000 km² below the 2010s mean
• about 1,390,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 2,050,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 2,510,000 km² below the 1980s mean
Graphics zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-i...
• about 840,000 km² below the 2010s mean
• about 1,390,000 km² below the 2000s mean
• about 2,050,000 km² below the 1990s mean
• about 2,510,000 km² below the 1980s mean
Graphics zacklabe.com/arctic-sea-i...
Just putting this out here for posterity. An incredible 2 days of observations from Palmer, Alaska airport, including that the power has stayed on. Peak wind has been 70mph or higher each hour since 8am Saturday. No, it's not snowing. From U. Wyoming weather web. #akwx
@climatologist49.bsky.social
@climatologist49.bsky.social
December 8, 2025 at 3:24 AM
Just putting this out here for posterity. An incredible 2 days of observations from Palmer, Alaska airport, including that the power has stayed on. Peak wind has been 70mph or higher each hour since 8am Saturday. No, it's not snowing. From U. Wyoming weather web. #akwx
@climatologist49.bsky.social
@climatologist49.bsky.social
Reposted by Rick Thoman
These are wind chills, not air temperatures. @alaskawx.bsky.social
December 8, 2025 at 2:39 AM
These are wind chills, not air temperatures. @alaskawx.bsky.social
Reposted by Rick Thoman
Oh, hey, Alaska. 🤩 The dog appreciates the symmetry of sunrise/sunset outings on the same day; his person wishes said outings were more than 6 hours apart. #AlaskaSky
December 8, 2025 at 1:41 AM
Oh, hey, Alaska. 🤩 The dog appreciates the symmetry of sunrise/sunset outings on the same day; his person wishes said outings were more than 6 hours apart. #AlaskaSky
Reposted by Rick Thoman
[1/2] I’m monitoring the situation in Mat-Su closely, and my heart is with every family still without power. But let’s be honest: storms like this are no longer rare, and Alaska can’t be left scrambling.
Most Mat-Su schools closed Monday as thousands remain without power amid hurricane-force winds
Winds gusting as high as 82 mph in Palmer buffeted the region overnight. A wind warning remains in effect into Monday.
www.adn.com
December 8, 2025 at 12:14 AM
[1/2] I’m monitoring the situation in Mat-Su closely, and my heart is with every family still without power. But let’s be honest: storms like this are no longer rare, and Alaska can’t be left scrambling.
Reposted by Rick Thoman
Listen to it out there 😭 60+ mph gusts
December 7, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Listen to it out there 😭 60+ mph gusts
Reposted by Rick Thoman
Here is the full U.S. and Canada version.
December 8, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Here is the full U.S. and Canada version.
Nothing says mid-winter in Alaska like daily higs at 3am and daily lows at 6pm. In this case, the power of no wind. #akwx @climatologist49.bsky.social @hanners64n.bsky.social
December 7, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Nothing says mid-winter in Alaska like daily higs at 3am and daily lows at 6pm. In this case, the power of no wind. #akwx @climatologist49.bsky.social @hanners64n.bsky.social
Reposted by Rick Thoman
My wife really liked the podcast episode I'm on ☺️. So I’m reposting the link.
The International Arctic Research Center communications team has come out with season 2 of the Alaska Voices podcast ("conversations among Alaskans and stories about the environment") and episode 1 is a conversation between myself and my cool colleague Nancy Fresco. alaskavoices.org/navigating-t...
Navigating the last mile to deliver research results – Alaska Voices
"I think it’s something that you and I have in common—loving to do science but really wanting to see it connect with the people who need it." -Nancy Fresco
alaskavoices.org
December 7, 2025 at 9:17 PM
My wife really liked the podcast episode I'm on ☺️. So I’m reposting the link.
Autumn over 25 percent of Alaska had less sunshine than any other autumn since 1979 (start of the satellite era), including most of Southcentral and the central and eastern Interior. On the other hand, much more sun than usual on St. Lawrence Island. #akwx #Climate H/T @climatologist49.bsky.social
December 7, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Autumn over 25 percent of Alaska had less sunshine than any other autumn since 1979 (start of the satellite era), including most of Southcentral and the central and eastern Interior. On the other hand, much more sun than usual on St. Lawrence Island. #akwx #Climate H/T @climatologist49.bsky.social
The wind is just relentless in the lower Mat-Su valley. At 822am Sunday peak wind at the Palmer airport of 87 knots/100 mph. #akwx #Windstorm @climatologist49.bsky.social
December 7, 2025 at 7:46 PM
The wind is just relentless in the lower Mat-Su valley. At 822am Sunday peak wind at the Palmer airport of 87 knots/100 mph. #akwx #Windstorm @climatologist49.bsky.social
The Chukchi Sea is now iced-over and attention turns to the Bering Sea. Recent cold and windy weather has driven a rapid increase in sea ice extent in NSIDC data. Total extent is the highest for Dec 6 since 2021. Upcoming weather pattern change will slow ice extent increase. #akwx #Arctic #SeaIce
December 7, 2025 at 5:58 PM