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Rick Thoman

@alaskawx.bsky.social

3.2K followers 310 following 2.7K posts

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/

alaskaclimate.substack.com

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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...

Cover page of Alaska’s Change Environment with a photo of the November 2023 Wrangell landslide.

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Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 2h

High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Thursday. Continued warmer than normal almost everywhere in the region though not as extreme as Wednesday. #akwx #weather @climatologist49.bsky.social

Map centered on Alaska showing site-specific high temperatures (ºF) on Thursday, October 9, 2025. Plotted temperature range from 27F at Anadyr, Russia to 62F at Klawock, AK.

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Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 21h

Extended Pacific jet tends to mean “not cold” weather this time of year for the Interior. Could be snow depending on the storm track details.

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Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 1d

Note that this graphic is only for the NWS Anchorage forecast office area of responsibility. Northern Bering Sea covered by Fairbanks office.

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Reposted by Rick Thoman

webberweather.bsky.social @webberweather.bsky.social · 1d

The first significant positive East Asia Mtn Torque event of the season will occur late next week into the following week.

This will yield a strong, extended Pacific Jet Stream (+EPO) in late Oct & encourage MJO/CCKW propagation across the Maritime Continent & West Pacific late Oct-early Nov.

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Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 1d

High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Wednesday. Same weather pattern that produced coastal flooding in parts of western Alaska also spread very warm air across nearly all of the region. Daily record high temps at Northway, Tok, Glennallen, Kodiak and possibly Kotzebue. #akwx #weather

Map centered on Alaska showing site-specific high temperatures (ºF) on Wednesday, October 8, 2025. Plotted temperature range from 30F at Anadyr, Russia to 66F at Tok, AK.

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Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 1d

We used to pride ourselves on nearly always having a white Halloween here in Fairbanks. Between 1941 and 2015 every Halloween except one (1962) had at least an inch of snow on the ground. Since 2015, five Halloweens without even one inch snow depth.

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Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 1d

Kotzebue ocean level peaked 7pm AKDT Wednesday but remained in major flood levels through 5am Thursday. The peak water level was the same as reached October 22, 2024, which produced the worst flooding in living memory. #akwx #ExtremeWeather #weather

Plot of the ocean water level at Kotzebue, Alaska October 2-9, 2025 showing the major flooding October 8-9.

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Reposted by Rick Thoman

Katie Writer @akktwriter.bsky.social · 1d

www.buzzsprout.com/951223/episo...

Coastal flooding in Kotzebue, watching Typhoon Halong, and Arctic Report Card 2025.
#rickthoman#kotzebue#storms
@alaskawx.bsky.social

Kotzebue Storm~Oct 8th, 2025~Rick Thoman - Alaska Climate and Aviation Podcast

A strong storm impacting Kotzebue on Oct. 8th, 2025 ...(one year after a 2024 storm)has the community evacuated from homes along the coast to the high school, which is on higher ground. Climatologist,...

www.buzzsprout.com

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Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 1d

As of 7pm AKDT Wednesday the ocean water level at Kotzebue was rising rapidly and was already at the level reached in the October 2024 storm, which caused the worst flooding in living memory at Kotz. #akwx #weather #ExtremeWeather

Water level at the DGGS ocean water level gauge at Kotzebue, Alaska for October 2-8, 2025 showing water level at the major flood category.

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Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 1d

Water levels in the October 2004 storm. Stayed high for ~12 hours.

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Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 1d

Maybe a little snow Friday and Saturday but then warms up again. No sign at this point of the permanent winter snowpack.

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Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 1d

Ocean level on the NOAA tide gauge at Nome probably peaked with the early evening high tide. This is slightly higher than the October 2024 storm but well below Merbok in September 2022. #akwx #ExtermeWeather
@hanners64n.bsky.social

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Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 1d

Not questing into the 50s mph at least now.

Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 1d

Whoa. That is way up from this morning.

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Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 1d

From western Alaska storminess to Arctic Report Card, there's a lot to talk about with Katie Writer on the latest Alaska Climate and Aviation podcast. #akwx #Climate #weather

www.buzzsprout.com/951223/episo...

Kotzebue Storm~Oct 8th, 2025~Rick Thoman - Alaska Climate and Aviation Podcast

www.buzzsprout.com

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Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 1d

Can't be dogmatic about it because of significant missing data, but evidently the high temperature Wednesday of 50F (10.0C) at Umiat (North Slope, Inupiat county) is the latest date in the year with high of 50F or higher. Previous latest October 7, 1993. #akwx #Arcrtic #Climate

Summary climate statistics for the Remote Automated Weather Station at Umiat, Alaska on October 8, 2025.

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Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 1d

Unfortunately, no functional water level gauges in those communities.

Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 1d

How cloudy was it in September around Alaska? For Anchorage and Fairbanks, this was either the first or second cloudiest since 1979. For western Alaska and parts of the North Slope, much less cloudiness than usual. Graphic courtesy @climatologist49.bsky.social using ERA5 data. @leahwrenn.bsky.social

Map centered on Alaska showing the rank of average cloudiness in September 2025 compared to all other September since 1979.

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Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 1d

Thanks.

Reposted by Rick Thoman

Climatologist49 @climatologist49.bsky.social · 2d

Let's check in and see how September temperatures have changed in the U.S. and Canada over the last 75 years. 🔥😢

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Reposted by Rick Thoman

Hannah 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈 @hanners64n.bsky.social · 1d

A little water cresting over the wall at the inner port.
Taken at 5pm 10/8

Picture showing high water during a high wind event Nome Alaska

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Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 1d

Have you heard of any problems with water over the road around Safety?

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Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 1d

Facebook

Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 1d

Also good news on the City Council and FNSB Assembly elections.

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Rick Thoman @alaskawx.bsky.social · 1d

FB reports that Kivalina (northwest of Kotzebue) is now evacuating due to coastal flood threat. Kivalina does have road access to inland area. #akwx #AlaskaSky

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