North Slope had its coolest June in 8 years while Arctic set warmth record

Alaska's North Slope recorded its coolest June since 2018 last month, even as the broader Arctic logged its warmest June since 1950, according to a climate summary published Tuesday by alaskaclimate.substack.com. North Slope residents and local governments use near-freezing and below-normal conditions to plan for sea ice, coastal erosion, infrastructure maintenance, and emergency response.

The North Slope reading fits a broader pattern of Alaska variability. The Alaska Climate Research Center documented six consecutive months of statewide mean temperature below the 1991-2020 normal through spring 2026, and the National Weather Service Anchorage reported June was slightly colder than normal across most of coastal southern Alaska, including Kodiak and the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands. The summary noted the primary exceptions: the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta recorded its mildest June since 2022, while the North Slope went the other direction.

About 85 percent of Arctic land areas ran milder than the 1991-2020 baseline. Western Alaska precipitation fell well below normal, with some areas receiving less than half of normal rainfall, raising fire risk on surrounding tundra. Arctic land precipitation overall was 13 percent below average in June, the lowest since 1993. Alaska's temperature range for the month stretched from 85°F at Eagle on June 27 to 17°F at Utqiaġvik on June 1.

The cool North Slope reading does not reverse the long-term signal. The summary states: "in the past 50 years, Arctic lands have warmed by an average of 2.8C while ocean areas poleward of 60°N have warmed by just 0.9C."