The Kenai Fjords area saw a return to more typical temperatures in February when the average monthly temperature dropped below freezing, yet remained slightly above the 30-year normal (1981-2010) for the month. Precipitation amounts dried up significantly from the previous month. While January received 150% of normal precipitation, February received only 10% of normal. The little measurable precipitation that was recorded arrived during the second half of the month and was unsuccessful in bringing snowpack levels back up to normal. See below to learn more about February’s thin snowpack.
As recorded at the Seward airport, total precipitation was 0.62 inches (10% of normal), 5.43 inches below the 30-year average (1981- 2010) for the month. The monthly average temperature for February was 29.7 degrees F; 1.4 degrees F above the 30-year average. Winds were variable throughout the month with a maximum daily average wind speed of 21.8 mph recorded on February 9th. A maximum wind gust of 47 mph was recorded on February 10th.
Also of note:
* The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center's three month weather outlook (March-April-May) favors above- normal temperatures and normal precipitation for the Kenai Fjords area.
* Climate Central reports on new research published in the journal Nature Climate Change indicating that continued greenhouse warming may increase the frequency of extreme El Niño events.
* NASA’s Earth Observatory published imagery of a large landslide that occurred in Glacier Bay National Park in mid-February.
* Geophysical Research Letters published new research indicating that the Arctic melt season is increasing at the rate of five days per decade and discusses implications to climate change monitoring and shipping and resource industries.
* NOAA climate services portal serves as a single point-of-entry for NOAA's extensive climate information, data, products, services, and the climate science magazine ClimateWatch.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
