Folks in Anchorage, Alaska got a surprise gift on the Fourth of July from Mother Nature – a day that broke the heat records, with temperatures hitting 90 degrees. It was great news for those who wanted to grill out and enjoy some weather, but signs point to bigger issues.
In case you’re curious, that means that Anchorage was hotter than New York City on the 4th. The Big Apple only recorded a temperature of about 85 degrees. Anchorage is only 370 miles away from the Arctic Circle. Just to put that little fact in perspective for you.
It wasn’t just Anchorage that saw a record high heat. Kenai and King Salmon, Alaska, both hit 89 degrees, record highs for them. 89 degrees is only 2 degrees higher than the record for Kenai, though, and only 1 single degree higher in King Salmon.
Kenai saw a high of 87 degrees on June 26th in 1953, as well as June 18th, 1903.
But for Anchorage, the jump was a massive 5 degrees. On June 14th, 1969, the Anchorage International Airport recorded a temperature of 85 degrees. This record stood… until last week.
Those in the weather community are concerned because it isn’t wildly uncommon for records to be broken by a degree or two. But five? That’s a big jump, and it could mean a hot summer is in store for the state.
California isn’t the only US state with wildfire problems right now – Alaska is battling them, too, and this heat isn’t helping firefighters any.
Data coming from Alaska right now suggests over 630,000 acres have been decimated by fires so far this year, and it’s only July. In 2018, only about 411,000 acres suffered from wildfires. In the whole year.
The reason that the land is getting so eaten up by fires is directly related to the weather. The intense heat that Alaska is currently experiencing dries out the vegetation, making it more likely to catch fire and stay on fire. Wildfires spread more quickly in hot, dry areas.
Sadly, there isn’t a good end in sight for Alaska. This whole year has been especially hot for the state, and it’s going to continue to be that way in the foreseeable future.
The big problem is melting ice in the Arctic circle. Normally ice reflects light, sending the heat back into the atmosphere. However, as ice caps and glaciers melt, water is revealed.
This water doesn’t reflect the sun or heat – it absorbs it, heating up everything around it. Which causes more melting. Which, ultimately, gives the sun more dark space to heat up.
Do you see the problem?
Alaska itself is doing everything it can to protect the land it has left. Major cities stopped any fireworks displays and put a burn ban out, hoping to prevent accidental fires. Even open flame cooking isn’t allowed, though it’s unclear just how much that is going to be enforced.
Ultimately, it looks like this is just the start for Alaska. We can expect even more heat in the coming months, and climate experts expect the years to follow to be even worse. Only time will tell just how much worse.
