Wet Hot Alaskan Summer: Homer and Southcentral experiencing record dry then record wet conditions

If you happen to’re noticing uncommon climate patterns recently you are not alone.

August noticed report rainfall in Southcentral Alaska and on the Kenai Peninsula. Earlier than that, the realm skilled an abnormally dry summer time.

Rick Thoman, local weather specialist with the Worldwide Arctic Analysis Middle on the College of Alaska Fairbanks, research climate patterns all through the state.

“Seems like there’s by no means been something this dramatic within the local weather report for Southcentral Alaska and the Kenai Peninsula,” Thoman mentioned. “There is definitely been instances that it has been dry adopted by moist, however nothing of this report dry to report smashing moist, identical to that.”

These climate patterns have had ripple results all through Alaska, in accordance with Thoman. He mentioned the unusually dry climate contributed to a number of the early-summer fires in Southwestern Alaska and within the Inside. The fires within the Y-Ok Delta have been a number of the largest fires the area has skilled.

Then round mid-July one thing shifted, particularly within the space south of the Matanuska Valley. It began raining and it hasn’t actually stopped. Thoman referred to as the shift from excessive dry to excessive moist situations all through the state “exceptional.” And in Homer this excessive dry-to-wet sample has exceeded month-to-month data.

“It was the driest Might plus June on report,” Thoman mentioned. “After which the second week in July, the climate sample simply modified dramatically. And that was broadly throughout the Kenai Peninsula and Southcentral, that dramatic flip flop.”

Homer skilled lower than 1 / 4 inch of rain recorded in Might and June. The mixed whole was the bottom on report at a complete of 0.28 inches throughout the two months. Quick ahead to mid-July, and residents started seeing rains that hardly ever cleared.

Climate stations documented shut to 6 inches of rainfall in Homer throughout the month of August. That’s nearly a half inch greater than the report set in 1939. Anchorage additionally noticed its third wettest August on report at 6.8 inches, which is about 4 inches greater than the typical. Town is on tempo to have its wettest yr ever, in accordance with Thoman.

Farther south, Juneau is experiencing its highest precipitation ranges for the calendar yr, so far. Thoman mentioned the neighborhood’s usually wet season hasn’t even begun but.

However why is that this occurring?

“That is the million-dollar query,” Thoman mentioned.

Whereas storms usually go by the Bering Sea this time of the yr, Thoman mentioned this summer time, the storm tracks have largely been by the Western Gulf of Alaska. And that’s uncommon.

“Generally you get particular person storms that can observe that manner in the summertime, however not as a sustained sample. That is what’s made this yr so exceptional,” Thoman mentioned.

He mentioned there’s no proof that the heavy rainfall will proceed all through the autumn months on the Kenai Peninsula.

It could take 20 extra inches of rain this yr to exceed the yearly report rainfall for Homer, in accordance with Thoman. Whereas he mentioned that’s unlikely, it actually may wind up being one of many high ten wettest years for the neighborhood on report.