Rick Thoman
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alaskawx.bsky.social
Rick Thoman
@alaskawx.bsky.social
3.3K followers 320 following 3.1K 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/
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alaskawx.bsky.social
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.
alaskawx.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
alaskawx.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
Left: Bering Sea daily sea ice extent 1978-70 to 2025-26 with the past two seasons and the smoothed 1991-2020 median highlighted. Right: NWS Alaska Region sea ice concentration analysis to December 6, 2025.
December 7, 2025 at 5:58 PM
alaskawx.bsky.social
High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Saturday.Severe wind storm across parts of Southcentral. Not as windy in the Interior but enough in most valleys to mix down milder air from above. Colder in the southern Yukon and northern Southeast Alaska. #akwx #weather @climatologist49.bsky.social
Map centered on Alaska showing site-specific high temperatures (ºF) on Saturday, December 6, 2025. Plotted temperature range from -29F at Atqasuk to 48F at Klawock.
December 7, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Reposted by Rick Thoman
alaskawx.bsky.social
Autumn 2025 snowfall was below the 1991-2020 baseline across most of western Alaska and a large part of northwest Canada. Parts of the northern and eastern Interior and northern Southeast Alaska had above normal snow. Data from ERA5 courtesy of ECMWF/Copernicus. #akwx #Climate #Snow
Map centered on Alaska showing the September through November 2025 snowfall as a percent of the 1991-2020 autumn average.
December 7, 2025 at 4:07 AM
Reposted by Rick Thoman
climatologist49.bsky.social
Finally below zero (F) at casa mooseoligica.
December 7, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Reposted by Rick Thoman
alaskawx.bsky.social
The autumn 2025 Arctic climate summary is now posted in the Alaska and Arctic Climate newsletter. Spoiler: mildest autumn on record across the Canadian North. #Arctic #Climate #Canada #Autumn2025

alaskaclimate.substack.com/p/autumn-202...
Splash screen for the Alaska and Arctic Newsletter post: Autumn 025 Arctic Climate Summary: Near record warmth…again
December 6, 2025 at 10:38 PM
alaskawx.bsky.social
Autumn 2025 snowfall was below the 1991-2020 baseline across most of western Alaska and a large part of northwest Canada. Parts of the northern and eastern Interior and northern Southeast Alaska had above normal snow. Data from ERA5 courtesy of ECMWF/Copernicus. #akwx #Climate #Snow
Map centered on Alaska showing the September through November 2025 snowfall as a percent of the 1991-2020 autumn average.
December 7, 2025 at 4:07 AM
Reposted by Rick Thoman
zacklabe.com
And now we know that the volume of #Arctic sea ice also dropped to a record low in October (zacklabe.com/archive-2025/).

It's been a historic fall in the #Arctic, which is already a season of rapid climate change. Not good.
December 6, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Reposted by Rick Thoman
climatologist49.bsky.social
Total solar energy for Fall 2025 in Alaska (Sep-Nov) was the lowest on record. Other than that, it was great! @alaskawx.bsky.social
December 7, 2025 at 3:02 AM
Reposted by Rick Thoman
climatologist49.bsky.social
Palmer, AK, wind gust up to 94 mph. @alaskawx.bsky.social
afc.weather.im IEMBOT Anchorage @afc.weather.im · 22h
PALMER MUNICIPAL (ASOS),AK (PAAQ) ASOS reports gust of 82 knots (94.4 mph) from NE @ 2101Z -- PAAQ 062153Z 04044G68KT 9SM -SN CLR M08/M23 A2904 RMK AO2 PK WND 04082/2101 SLP839 P0000 T10831228 $
December 6, 2025 at 11:42 PM
alaskawx.bsky.social
Palmer Airport peak wind 94 mph and Wasilla Airport peak wind 73 mph around Noon AKST Saturday. Probably similar to the January 2022 wind storm (but airport lost power during the strongest winds in the event, so no actual observations). #akwx #Winter2025 @climatologist49.bsky.social
Airport observations showing the strongest winds at Palmer (top) and Wasilla (bottom).
December 6, 2025 at 11:47 PM
Reposted by Rick Thoman
ljfergs.bsky.social
The Alaska Voices podcast shares stories and conversations of Alaskans adapting to a rapidly changing environment. Check out the first episode of season 2, a conversation between Nancy Fresco and Chris Waigl as they talk about their journeys to climate science. alaskavoices.org
December 6, 2025 at 11:08 PM
Reposted by Rick Thoman
phrozen.com
Really showing off. With her little Moon buddy.
Denali. Big snow-covered mountain, with trees in the foreground and a near-full moon just over her right shoulder.
December 6, 2025 at 11:34 PM
Reposted by Rick Thoman
markspringer.bsky.social
More gnarlyness-
Bethel Alaska and environs suffered an unprecedented, three-day ice storm covering EVERYTHING with up to half an inch of ice. Trees are especially suffering with ice-laden branches breaking under the weight and due to current high winds.
December 6, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Reposted by Rick Thoman
markspringer.bsky.social
Three day ice storm results.
Gnarly.
December 6, 2025 at 10:22 PM
alaskawx.bsky.social
The autumn 2025 Arctic climate summary is now posted in the Alaska and Arctic Climate newsletter. Spoiler: mildest autumn on record across the Canadian North. #Arctic #Climate #Canada #Autumn2025

alaskaclimate.substack.com/p/autumn-202...
Splash screen for the Alaska and Arctic Newsletter post: Autumn 025 Arctic Climate Summary: Near record warmth…again
December 6, 2025 at 10:38 PM
alaskawx.bsky.social
Saturday morning lower Mat-Su valley with 60 to 90 mph wind gusts and widespread power outages and property damage. #akwx #Winter2026 @climatologist49.bsky.social
Facebook post from Matanuska Electric Association ***WINDSTORM OUTAGES*** ***As a reminder, we only report on outages affecting 100+ members. There are dozens of smaller outages that crews are responding to, as well. Please check the outage map for up-to-the-minute reporting. With conditions as they are, and not improving, we cannot offer any estimated times for restoration at this time. We thank you for your patience.*** UPDATE, 10:00 a.m.: We have 16,721 members out of power at this time. Not a lot of restoration has occurred as there are many downed trees and lines and the situation continues to worsen. The most major outages are: • Palmer Proper and Greater area – 3000 members • KGB and Fairview - 8000 members • Engstrom – 927 members • Palmer/Wasilla to Hatcher Pass – 2000 members • Soapstone/Sutton north to Glacier View – 1489 members are out of power Avoid downed power lines and report outages via SmartHub. We know that there is difficulty getting through on the phone lines. Please have patience or use SmartHub to report downed lines and trees. Thank you!
December 6, 2025 at 8:46 PM
alaskawx.bsky.social
Damaging winds in the lower Matanuska valley Saturday morning. At the Palmer Airport, thru 10am AKST peak wind has been 89 mph. #akwx @climatologist49.bsky.social
December 6, 2025 at 7:11 PM
alaskawx.bsky.social
Downtown Fairbanks Saturday 940am: Clear, breezy, -8F (-22.2C). Rapid teperature increase as the breeze broke through the inversion. #akwx @carrieinfbx.bsky.social
Plot of temperatures from the Alaska DOT weather station in downtown Fairbanks showing the dramatic increase in temperature Saturday morning due to wind breaking the temperature inversion.
December 6, 2025 at 6:49 PM
alaskawx.bsky.social
High and low temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on December. First significant widespread cold of the season digging in. Outer coast Southeast Alaska and coastal northwest BC still hanging on to mild weather. #akwx #weather @climatologist49.bsky.social
Map centered on Alaska showing site-specific high temperatures (ºF) on Friday, December 5, 2025. Plotted temperature range from -29F at Allakaket, AK to 48F at Klawock, AK and Sandspit, BC Map centered on Alaska showing site-specific low temperatures (ºF) on Friday, December 5, 2025. Plotted temperature range from -39F at Allakaket and Ft. Yukon, AK to 41F at Klawock, AK and Sandspit, BC.
December 6, 2025 at 5:16 PM
alaskawx.bsky.social
Just like winter…first 30 below of the season at Fairbanks Airport early Saturday morning. #akwx #Winter2026 @leahwrenn.bsky.social @tomhewittnews.bsky.social
Screenshot of the 7am AKST weather conditions at Fairbanks International Airport showing the temperature of -31F (-35.0C)
December 6, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Reposted by Rick Thoman
explorenorth.bsky.social
Don't eat yellow snow!! :D That -38C on Thursday night may mean -40+ here - the record for that date is -46.2C (that's -51.2F), set in 1977.
December 6, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Reposted by Rick Thoman
zacklabe.com
Long-term (declining) trends in sea ice are mostly found in the outer regions of the #Arctic Ocean during December (and all winter). The remaining area still becomes ice-covered.

Sea ice concentration = fraction of ice-cover. More info doi.org/10.1175/BAMS.... Data www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/cli...
Polar stereographic map showing Arctic sea ice concentration trends for Decembers from 1979 to 2024. Red shading is shown for deceasing sea ice, and blue shading is shown for increasing sea ice. Trends are calculated in % per decade. All areas are observing decreasing sea ice in the outer edges of the Arctic Ocean.
December 6, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Reposted by Rick Thoman
leahwrenn.bsky.social
Just about solar noon. December 5, 2025.
Snowy ground with a spruce tree to the right. The sun is barely above the horizon.
December 5, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Reposted by Rick Thoman
themattphelps.bsky.social
First -30s of the season at my house this evening
December 6, 2025 at 3:47 AM