Alaska witnesses unusually high winter temperature, rains in December: Report

An unusually warm winter in Alaska, the United States, has generated daytime temperatures above 19 degrees Celsius, accompanied by torrential rains, at a time of the year when the state usually witnesses severe cold and snow. According to the National Weather Service, Kodiak Island recorded the temperature at 19.4 degrees Celsius on Sunday (Dec. 26), which set a statewide temperature record for December, The New York Times reported. The temperature at the Island dropped to 15.5 degrees celsius on Monday (Dec 27) before falling further to 12.7 degrees Celsius on Tuesday (Dec 28), according to Rick Thoman, a climate specialist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy.  

"In late December. I would not have thought such a thing possible," Thoman tweeted. He stated that it wasn't the only weather record broken in towns along the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea this month. With 13.3 degrees Celsius, Unalaska recorded the state's highest-ever temperature reading for Christmas Day. Although it's difficult to link a single heatwave to climate change, scientists say it's obvious that heatwaves are becoming more frequent, long-lasting, and severe around the planet. It can be difficult for people to keep track of new purported weather records - or to decide how much to be concerned about them. 

This century has already seen 19 of the world's 20 warmest years, with last year practically tying 2016 as the hottest on record, as per the American daily. According to research by Brian Brettschneider, a climatologist in Alaska, the average temperature for the United States on Christmas Day this year was the third-warmest since 1900. Alaska's record heat is particularly notable because the State is usually known for its severe cold and its proximity to the Arctic. 

'Heat dome' is reason behind recent heatwave in Alaska: Report

Alaska is warming at a quicker rate than the rest of the country, besides also witnessing floods, erosion, and other symptoms of a changing climate. A mass of high-pressure air, known as a heat dome, has been lingering over the northeastern Pacific Ocean, causing a recent heatwave in some parts of Alaska, the report stated. In recent days, certain parts of Alaska, including Fairbanks, have also witnessed record amounts of rain. This is an issue in part because it may cause water to accumulate on roads, which may remain frozen until March, according to climatologist Brettschneider. 

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