ALASKA and NORTHWESTERN CANADA 

Weather and Climate Highlights and Impacts, Dec. 2016 - Feb. 2017; Climate Outlook Apr. 2017 - June 2017

NORTH SLOPE: Utqiaġvik (Barrow) 

experienced the warmest winter on 

record. The average temperature was -

2.1°F (-18.9°C).

1

BRISTOL BAY: Sea ice cover 

more extensive and persistent 

than last three years.

FAIRBANKS: 240% of 

normal snowfall. (73.2”/186 

cm). 4th highest winter total.

ANCHORAGE: Only 9 days 

with max above freezing. 

Lowest total since ‘98-’99

Iditarod start moved to 

Fairbanks due to lack of 

snow in western Alaska. 

YUKON: Heavy snow and poor visibility 

forced closure of several major 

highways Feb. 13-14.

WATSON LAKE: Driest winter 

since 1939. Only 39% of 

normal precipitation.

NWT: Significantly milder than normal 

with all stations recording average 

winter temperatures 3.4 to 4.6 degrees 

Celsius (6-8°F) warmer than normal.

FT. NELSON: Average winter 

temperature of -14.0°C /7°F 

was 4.1 degrees warmer than 

average (-18.1°C /0°F) which 

was the 4th warmest winter 

on record since 1938.
""

""

"" ""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

Ft. Liard

N/A

Deadhorse

N/A

Whitehorse

N/A

Nome

2.82"/72mm

Bethel

2.65"/67mm

Dawson

2.40"/61mm

Inuvik

1.97"/50mm

Gulkana

3.89"/99mm

Kodiak

9.65"/245mm

McGrath

2.17"/55mm

Bettles

3.25"/83mm

Burwash

1.20"/31mm

Old Crow

1.98"/50mm

Juneau

17.31"/440mm

Northway

1.16"/30mm

Kotzebue

2.33"/59mm

Yakutat

29.53"/750mm

Anchorage

3.90"/99mm

Utqiaġvik

0.89"/23mm

Cold Bay

12.65"/321mm

Fairbanks

4.16"/106mm

Ft. Nelson

1.86"/47mm

Ft. Simpson

1.30"/33mm

King Salmon

3.16"/80mm

Ketchikan

38.11"/968mm

Watson Lake

1.16"/29mm

Ft. St. John

2.54"/65mm

Norman Wells

3.87"/98mm

""

""

"" ""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

""

Nome

7.0°F/-13.9°C

Juneau

28.5°F/-1.9°C

Kodiak

29.9°F/-1.2°C

Bethel

8.7°F/-12.9°C

Yakutat

28.6°F/-1.9°C

Inuvik

-5.6°F/-20.9°C

Gulkana

-9.9°F/-23.3°C

Cold Bay

29.1°F/-1.6°C

McGrath

-1.9°F/-18.9°C

Ketchikan

33.5°F/0.8°C

Bettles

-7.6°F/-22.0°C

Dawson

-11.7°F/-24.3°C

Burwash

-2.0°F/-18.9°C

Anchorage

16.1°F/-8.8°C

Northway

-9.9°F/-23.3°C

Kotzebue

-0.4°F/-18.0°C

Ft. Liard

-3.4°F/-15.9°C

Old Crow

-12.3°F/-24.6°C

Whitehorse

6.4°F/-14.2°C

Utqiaġvik

-2.1°F/-19.0°C

Fairbanks

-5.7°F/-21.0°C

Ft. Nelson

6.8°F/-14.0°C

Deadhorse

-7.9°F/-22.2°C

King Salmon

15.8°F/-9.0°C

Ft. St. John

14.5°F/-9.7°C

Ft. Simpson

-2.2°F/-19.0°C

Watson Lake

-1.5°F/-18.6°C

Norman Wells

-6.2°F/-21.2°C

Temperature & Precipitation, Dec. 2016 - Feb. 2017

2

Wet

Dry

Wet

Source: NOAA and ECCC 

Source: NOAA and ECCC 

Above

Near

Normal

Below

Dry

Despite near normal temperatures in Dawson, YK this winter, warm 

conditions in November reduced ice buildup preventing the unofficial ice 

road crossing the Yukon River from remaining open. Photo credit: CBC.

Damage to building in Savoonga, Alaska, from December 31, 2016, storm. Winds gusting to

80mph (130 kph) damaged at least 30 structures Photo: NOAA.

Several areas saw above normal precipitation during winter 2016-17 including the northern half of

Alaska, the majority of the Yukon and the northern region of the Northwest Territories. Areas

further south including south-central Alaska experienced a drier than normal winter.

In terms of temperatures, the North Slope, northeastern British Columbia and the entirety of the

Mackenzie Delta experienced significantly higher than normal temperatures this winter. These

milder than normal conditions are explained by a rather persistent southerly circulation of air along

the eastern side of the Rockies throughout most of the winter. Temperatures over the majority of

Alaska and the Yukon were close to normal except for the area between King Salmon and

Gulkana, AK which experienced colder than normal conditions.

Despite near normal temperatures in Dawson, YK this winter, warm conditions in

November reduced ice buildup preventing the unofficial ice road crossing the

Yukon River from remaining open. Photo credit: CBC.
Temperature Outlook: Apr-Jun 2017 Precipitation Outlook: Apr-Jun 2017

The graphics to the left show the most likely of the three possible

categories (significantly above normal, near normal and significantly

below normal) for the three months April through June (2017)

according to the North American Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME)

seasonal forecasts issued on March 7, 2017. Most of Alaska and

northwestern Canada are depicted in the 40% to 50% likelihood for

above normal temperatures. The northeastern corner of British

Columbia has a slightly stronger warm signal.

The March through May time period is the driest three-month period

of the year. The NMME forecast is for near normal precipitation

across most of the region. The exception is for a drier season in

northwest Alaska and slightly wetter in the Northwest Territories.

The April-June forecast reflects the recent demise of La Nina.

Deterministic models are hinting at a return of El Nino. This may

cause significant changes to the seasonal forecast.

Content and graphics prepared in partnership with the Western Region Climate Center, NOAA National Weather Service Alaska 

Region, and Environment and Climate Change Canada. 

ALASKA REGION PARTNERS: Western Region Climate Center, Alaska Climate Research Center, Alaska Climate Science Center, 

Cryosphere Today, NOAA / NWS Weather Forecast Offices, NOAA / NESDIS / NCEI, Scenarios Network for Alaska + Arctic Planning. 

NOAA ALASKA REGION CONTACTS: 

JAMES PARTAIN james.partain@noaa.gov

RICK THOMAN richard.thoman@noaa.gov

ncei.noaa.gov • #regionalclimateoutlooks

BRIAN BRETTSCHNEIDER: WRCC 

brbrettschneider@alaska.edu

WESTERN CANADA PARTNER: 

Environment and Climate Change Canada 

(ECCC). 

ERIK de GROOT erik.degroot@canada.ca

ALYSSA CHARBONNEAU 

alyssa.charbonneau@canada.ca

MATT MACDONALD 

matt.macdonald@canada.ca 

3

Old (Multi-Year) Ice Concentration Departure in the Beaufort Sea: February 2017

Ice conditions in the Beaufort Sea reached full wintertime coverage by

the end of November 2016 and ice coverage has maintained a

consistent value from December to February. The coverage of old

(multi-year) ice compared to normal which is depicted to the left has

been significantly below normal. This is due to the very low old ice

coverage in the Beaufort seen in the fall of 2016.

December and January brought exceptionally low sea ice coverage to

the northern Bering Sea. The first week of January saw open water at

Little Diomede and extending into the southernmost Chukchi Sea. This

was the result of unfavorable weather for sea ice formation during the

early winter as well as unusually warm ocean temperatures left over

from summer 2016. So remarkable was the lack of ice that on January

9th Savoonga, St. Lawrence Island hunters landed a bowhead whale,

the first time in living memory that hunters were out in boats in January

in completely ice free waters chasing a while. During February, more

favorable weather allowed sea ice to form around St Lawrence Island

and push south, though by the end of the month ice had not yet reach

St. Paul Island.

Source: Canadian Ice Services, Environment and Climate Change Canada