As average temperatures plunge five degrees each week in Golovin, the western Alaska village is anxiously awaiting the arrival of two new generators.

The generators were made possible by a $218,098 grant from Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation and were expected to be delivered earlier in the fall. Golovin Power Utility’s bookkeeper, Joann Fagerstrom, said that with winter looming workers have had to improvise due to delays. 

“They could have came here with a tender boat if they got here a lot sooner. But they were stuck in Bethel for a while, and they got to Nome last week,” Fagerstrom said. 

As sea ice begins to appear throughout the Bering Strait region, the utility plans on flying in the generators. But another problem has arisen: the new generators, John Deere 6090 marine-grade engines, are too tall to fit inside the CASA C-212 cargo plane. 

First, the generators will need to be disassembled. Fagerstrom said that with some help from Nome-based mechanic Noah Burmeister, workers will be able to break the generators down and fly them to Golovin.

Each generator can output up to 222 kilowatts, enough to power the entire village on its own. This increased capacity will allow Golovin to prolong wear and tear on the new units while providing redundancy.

Fagerstrom said the utility expects the generators to arrive in the coming weeks and be online in time for winter.

Scientists aboard a U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker have discovered something unusual in the Arctic Ocean off northern Alaska: a volcano-like structure rising more than 500 meters from the seafloor and possibly emitting gas.

The discovery came as scientists from different organizations were aboard the Healy, one of two polar-class Coast Guard icebreaking cutters, were working on a mission to better understand uncharted waters in the Chukchi and Beaufort seas north of Alaska.

Although the structure rises well above the seabed, it tops out at about 1,600 meters below the water’s surface, so it is too deep to pose any risks to navigation, the Coast Guard said in a statement. However, there appears to be a plume of gas rising from the structure that nearly reaches the water’s surface, the Coast Guard said.

The discovery is part of a project called the Alaskan Arctic Coast Port Access Route Study. The project is surveying what have been uncharted waters and collecting depth data along a corridor that the Coast Guard has proposed to be a preferred vessel route between Utqiagvik, the nation’s northernmost community, and the U.S.-Canada border. The project is making use of equipment aboard the Healy to gather data and create detailed images of the seafloor and objects along the proposed Utqiagvik-to-Canada corridor.

Multiple organizations are collaborating on the project, which is in its first phase: the U.S. National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the University of New Hampshire, along with the Coast Guard.

Capt. Meghan McGovern, the commanding officer of the NOAA Ship Fairweather, is part of the Healy mapping team and commented on the discovery.

“Although data analysis is ongoing, these findings are exciting and offer insight into what may exist beneath the ocean’s surface, much of which is unknown in this region,” McGovern said in a Coast Guard statement. “The coordination and partnerships during this mission fill critical gaps in the region for all waterway users and provide a foundation for safe navigation in the Arctic.”

The port access route study accomplishments came despite some difficulties endured earlier in the year by the Healy, its crew and its visiting scientists.

The Healy had to cut short one of its Arctic research cruises after a fire broke out in its electrical system in July, when the ship was sailing off the coast of Canada’s Banks Island. The Healy returned to its home port of Seattle for repairs, then sailed back north on Oct. 1 to resume this year’s Arctic mission.

The Healy is the only Coast Guard icebreaker designed to support scientific research. This year, it hosted 20 early career scientists, along with their mentors, to help them gain Arctic research experience and skills.

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – A week of warm temperatures during the day and below-freezing conditions overnight makes for an icy mess across Southcentral.

In addition to the warm weather, windy and wet conditions continue for the coastal areas of Southcentral, Southwest, and Southeast Alaska as a storm turns near Kodiak.

This storm will stick with us one more day, before moving on to the east. That means Seward, Portage, and Whitter will see rain on Friday, with showers also likely in Homer, Valdez, and Cordova. The higher elevations, including Turnagain Pass, will likely see a wintry mix Thursday night through Friday.

Anchorage will stay mild on Friday, with temperatures starting out slightly below freezing before warming back to the mid-30s in the afternoon.

An extended stretch of storm-free weather is likely starting this weekend. But with drier and clearer conditions, it also means temperatures will steadily fall 2 to 4 degrees with each day. Get ready for teens and 20s in Anchorage and the Mat-Su by the middle part of next week.

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