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/
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
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
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
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
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
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
December 7, 2025 at 4:39 PM
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
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
December 7, 2025 at 4:07 AM
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
December 6, 2025 at 11:47 PM
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
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...
alaskaclimate.substack.com/p/autumn-202...
December 6, 2025 at 10:38 PM
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...
alaskaclimate.substack.com/p/autumn-202...
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
December 6, 2025 at 8:46 PM
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
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
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
Downtown Fairbanks Saturday 940am: Clear, breezy, -8F (-22.2C). Rapid teperature increase as the breeze broke through the inversion. #akwx @carrieinfbx.bsky.social
December 6, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Downtown Fairbanks Saturday 940am: Clear, breezy, -8F (-22.2C). Rapid teperature increase as the breeze broke through the inversion. #akwx @carrieinfbx.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
December 6, 2025 at 5:16 PM
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
Just like winter…first 30 below of the season at Fairbanks Airport early Saturday morning. #akwx #Winter2026 @leahwrenn.bsky.social @tomhewittnews.bsky.social
December 6, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Just like winter…first 30 below of the season at Fairbanks Airport early Saturday morning. #akwx #Winter2026 @leahwrenn.bsky.social @tomhewittnews.bsky.social
High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Thursday. Cold across the northern Interior and Northwest Arctic. Mild temperatures hanging on another day south of the Alaska Range but colder weather upcoming. #akwx #weather @climatologist49.bsky.social
December 5, 2025 at 4:06 PM
High temperatures (ºF) in and around Alaska on Thursday. Cold across the northern Interior and Northwest Arctic. Mild temperatures hanging on another day south of the Alaska Range but colder weather upcoming. #akwx #weather @climatologist49.bsky.social
November temperature departures from 1991-2020 baseline via ERA5 courtesy @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social. Fifth mildest since 1950. Canadian Arctic was cooking: mildest November on record for Nunavut and second mildest for NWT. Cooler than average for most of the Asian Arctic. #Arctic #Climate #Canada
December 5, 2025 at 2:53 AM
November temperature departures from 1991-2020 baseline via ERA5 courtesy @copernicusecmwf.bsky.social. Fifth mildest since 1950. Canadian Arctic was cooking: mildest November on record for Nunavut and second mildest for NWT. Cooler than average for most of the Asian Arctic. #Arctic #Climate #Canada
And +6F Clearly Summit
December 4, 2025 at 6:54 PM
And +6F Clearly Summit
Ice-over of the Chukchi Sea (northwest of Alaska) on December 3 as open water area dropped to under 5 percent of the basin in NSIDC data. Similar timing to last year but earlier than most autumns 2013-2023. Of course, still later than most years before 2002. #akwx #Arctic #SeaIce
December 4, 2025 at 5:16 PM