Alaska's August was warmer than its July, for the fourth time in a century

August ran warmer than July across Alaska this year. In 102 years of statewide records that has happened three other times, in 1941, 1959 and 1977.

The way it happened this year was a cold July more than a hot August. July was the coldest since 2008 and the 20th coldest on record, running more than two degrees below normal statewide, with Fairbanks nearly three degrees under. It rained. State climatologist Martin Stuefer wrote in the university's monthly report that the persistent rainfall "kept the ground wet and also helped keep wildfire activity unusually low" for midsummer.

Then August came in about two degrees above normal, the tenth warmest on record, and the fire season caught up. Burned acreage for the year doubled in a month to about 88,700 acres. The Mukluk Fire, which started near Tok on Aug. 17, destroyed about 50 homes, and the state extended fire season restrictions in the Delta, Tok and Copper River areas through Sept. 14.

Every one of the state's 13 climate regions finished August above normal. Anchorage was exactly at its average. Juneau was the place the warmth showed: two and a half degrees above normal for the month, and 85 degrees on Aug. 14, an August record at the airport in records going back to 1936.

Taken together, the three summer months came out almost exactly average, the 28th warmest of 102. August's rain was also exactly average. The season's strangeness was entirely in the order things happened.