Contacts: James Partain (james.partain@noaa.gov) Alaska Region Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook| September 2012 

Quarterly Climate Impacts 

and Outlook

Alaska Region

September 2012

Regional - Significant Events for June - August 2012

Regional - Climate Overview for June - August 2012

Highlights for Alaska

Exceptional Summer Storm Event

One of the strongest summer storms to have affected 

the Arctic Ocean in recent decades occurred in early 

August. The storm’s central pressure was comparable to 

a Category-1 hurricane. The storm dispersed an already 

sparse ice cover, and waves from the storm propagated 

through the open water to the northern Alaskan coast, 

producing flooding in some villages.

Heavy Rainfall in Northwest Alaska

Extremely heavy rainfall affected northern and western 

Alaska in July and August. Nome’s July precipitation was 

nearly triple the normal. During mid-August, parts of 

northwest Alaska experienced a once-in-100-year rainfall, 

with three inches of rain in a single day. The heavy rains 

caused air traffic delays and affected mining operations. 

In Kivalina, the landfill was flooded. Flooding also 

knocked out the water supply pipe, leaving the village 

without drinking water. As of the end of August, water 

service had not been restored to the village, and school 

still was not open.

Flooding closes the Alaska Highway

Melting snowpack and heavy rains in the Yukon Territory resulted in washouts and 

mudslides along the Alaska Highway. The road was closed along more than 100 miles in 

two stretches for three days, cutting off overland food delivery to interior Alaska.

Alaska Temperature and Precipitation Normals

Percent of Normal Precipitation (%)

6/1/2012 - 8/31/2012

Departure from Normal Temperature (°F)

6/1/2012 -8/31/2012

Quarterly temperature departures were obtained by calculating 

the difference between the monthly mean temperature and the 

30-year normal.

Quarterly precipitation percent of normal values were calculated 

to a percentage by dividing the quarterly precipitation by the 

quarterly 30-year normal.
Contacts: James Partain (james.partain@noaa.gov) Alaska Region Quarterly Climate Impacts and Outlook| September 2012 

Regional - for June - August 2012

Regional Anomalies - for Summer 2012

Record Retreat of Arctic 

Sea Ice

During the summer of 2012, sea ice in 

the Arctic retreated to its lowest extent 

since satellite records began in the 

1970s. The minimum ice extent broke 

the previous record set in 2007. The six 

lowest extents on record have occurred 

in the past six years. Nevertheless, 

isolated patches of sea ice interfered 

with exploratory oil drilling in the 

Chukchi Sea during the late summer.

Arctic Sea Ice Comparison

August 31, 1992

Temperature Anomalies

June - August (1918-2012)

Precipitation Anomalies

June - August (1918-2012)

August 31, 2012

Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy 

www.accap.uaf.edu

Alaska Climate Research Center 

http://climate.gi.alaska.edu/

Alaska Climate Science Center 

http://www.doi.gov/csc/alaska/index.cfmg

Cryosphere Today (University of Illinois),

http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/

NOAA/NWS Weather Forecast Offices in Fairbanks, 

Anchorage and Juneau

NOAA/NESDIS/NCDC

www.ncdc.noaa.gov

Scenarios Network for Alaska and Arctic Planning 

www.snap.uaf.edu

Temperature and Precipitation Anomalies

Existing Climate Products Three Month (Seasonal) Outlooks

Alaska Region Partners

Contours/shading 

are odds of 

the most likely 

category of three: 

• Above 

• Normal 

• Below, whose 

random odds 

are 1/3 each. 

• “EC” = Equal 

Chances of 

each category.

Source: 

www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov