Alaska Hits 90F

Keep in mind, we’re talking about Alaska. Anchorage’s typical high temperature for July is 65.4F. This week it is expected to reach more than 20F higher, possible 25F higher. Forecast temperatures are in the mid-80s to almost 90F. It is becoming well known that the Arctic is warming faster than most of the planet. A bit of heat sounds welcome, but it’s melting the permafrost under building foundations, ruining roads, killing plants and animals, increasing erosion, and releasing methane which exacerbates climate change. This has become a feedback loop that increases heat absorption as white snow and ice are replaced by darker tundra. It isn’t just the land that’s warming. The oceans are warming, too. Ocean temperatures are also 10F to 20F higher, shocking environments and reducing reflective ice pack. Northern Passage ships may benefit, but residents don’t. Many villages will need to be relocated as their ground becomes unstable or they become inaccessible. In the nature of Nature, similar effects may be happening in other arctic regions: northern Canada, Scandinavia, northern Russia, and Siberia – which has experienced cratering from explosively expanding methane. Global warming is highlighted by arctic melting.

“What Does This Record Heatwave Mean For Alaska?” – Grist