Weather & Climate
RSSAlaska News tracks weather and climate events affecting Alaska communities, including volcanic activity, wildfires, and smoke impacts.
Wind watch upgraded to warning for the Western Arctic Coast and Shishmaref
National Weather Service raised Western Arctic Coast wind gusts to 65 mph from late Wednesday through Friday, with high surf and beach erosion expected.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
High wind warnings for the northwest coast as Arctic logs warmest summer since 1950
The Arctic had its warmest summer since 1950, and the water off Alaska's northwest coast still ran cold. That coast now gets gusts to 65 mph.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
Gusts to 40 mph are coming across the Interior Tuesday into Wednesday
The Interior is in for gusts of 30 to 40 mph from Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday night, and as high as 50 mph up in the hills and the passes.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2w ago1 min read
Storm to raise water up to 5 feet above the tide line, Golovin to Wainwright
Coastal flooding could push water 2 to 5 feet above the high tide line along much of western and northern Alaska this week, across several tide cycles.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read
Minor flooding possible at Golovin, with water 4 to 6 feet above high tide
Water could flood Golovin's lowest buildings Wednesday and Thursday as the National Weather Service warns of coastal surge 4 to 6 feet above normal high tide.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
Atmospheric river pushes small Interior streams toward bankfull
An atmospheric river soaked Interior Alaska this weekend, and forecasters warned small streams could rise to the tops of their banks.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
The Kuskokwim Delta's high tides have passed. Forecasters expected no flooding.
High tides Friday and Saturday will peak a foot above normal along the Kuskokwim Delta, but forecasters expect no flooding in Kipnuk, Kwigillingok, Kongiganak and Quinhagak.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
Water could rise again along the Eastern Norton Sound coast Saturday morning
Water along the Eastern Norton Sound coast could run 2 to 4 feet above the normal high tide line again Saturday morning, highest around Golovin.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
Prince of Wales heat advisory ends after temperatures reach the 80s
National Weather Service raised its heat advisory forecast for Prince of Wales Island to 82 degrees Friday, three degrees above normal summer highs for the 5,700 residents there.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
Magnitude 6.3 quake off Nikolski sets off dozens of Aleutian aftershocks
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck offshore in the central Aleutians early Thursday, setting off dozens of aftershocks — but no tsunami and no expected damage.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
Alaska got early frost and a heat advisory in the same week
Alaska's first week of September brought early frost to Anchorage and Yakutat and a heat advisory to Prince of Wales Island, where Friday hits 80 degrees.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
NWS forecasts up to 1.5 inches of rain in the Chena River basin
Up to 1.5 inches of rain will drench the Chena River basin over the next 48 hours, pushing rivers higher, though NWS Fairbanks says flooding is not expected unless the heaviest rain shifts east.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read
Montana Creek topped flood stage in Juneau's Mendenhall Valley, with advisories into Tuesday morning
Montana Creek rose over the low-water crossing on Montana Creek Road this week. Another foot of water would put it into yards along Mendenhall Loop Road.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
Some Anchorage homes went a month without running water last winter
Some Anchorage homes went a month without running water last winter. Frozen lines hit triple the usual number, and thawing them is the customer's expense.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read
Interior awards $8,360 for helicopter service to Tincan and Indian Pass snow sensors
Interior awarded $8,360 to Alpine Air Alaska to maintain two remote snow sensors that feed avalanche forecasts for Turnagain Pass and Indian Pass through October.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
Dozens of earthquakes struck one patch of seafloor near Nikolski
Three dozen quakes struck one patch of seafloor southwest of Nikolski in about a day. No tsunami danger, and the Aleutians are not in Alaska's warning system.
by Walter AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
Water forecast 2 to 4 feet above normal high tide in Eastern Norton Sound
Water along Eastern Norton Sound should run 2 to 4 feet above normal high tide from late Thursday into Saturday, with beach erosion likely.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read
Forecasters flag Kwigillingok as water rises along the Kuskokwim Delta coast
Water along the Kuskokwim Delta coast is forecast 1 to 2 feet above normal high tide, with forecasters flagging Kwigillingok as most exposed to this front.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3w ago2 min read
Chukchi coastal waters expected to become ice free within days, NWS says
Chukchi Sea navigational waters off Alaska will become ice free within days, the National Weather Service said Monday, though Arctic-wide sea ice remains near record lows for this time of year.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3w ago1 min read
Four quakes off Nikolski, largest magnitude 5.3; no tsunami danger
Four earthquakes struck offshore southwest of Nikolski late Monday, with the largest at magnitude 5.3, but the National Tsunami Warning Center said there was no tsunami danger.
by Alaska News4w ago1 min read
Frost advisory for Anchorage and the Mat-Su early Tuesday
Cover your plants Monday night. Frost is expected early Tuesday in colder pockets of Anchorage and the Mat-Su, a few days ahead of the usual first chill.
by Walter AlaskaNews4w ago1 min read
Snow and 40 mph gusts are forecast for the Richardson Highway on the last day of August
Snow is heading for Isabel Pass on the last day of August: 4 to 8 inches above 2,000 feet, north winds gusting to 40 mph, and a work zone underneath it.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4w ago2 min read
Wind is stirring up 1912 volcanic ash over southwest Kodiak Island
Wind is stirring up ash from the 1912 Katmai eruption over southwest Kodiak Island, and Karluk and Larsen Bay residents should limit time outdoors.
by Alaska News4w ago1 min read
Forecasters expect 25 to 35 mph gusts across Fairbanks area Saturday
Gusty west-southwest winds of 25 to 35 mph will hit the Fairbanks area and Interior valleys through Saturday night, with the National Weather Service warning pilots to get aviation-specific briefings.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4w ago1 min read
Seven small earthquakes logged across Alaska over three days
Seven small earthquakes hit scattered parts of Alaska between Aug. 26 and 29, ranging from magnitude 2.6 to 3.6. Only one has had human review.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
Anchorage youth can apply for $1,000 to $5,000 climate project grants
Anchorage residents ages 15 to 24 can apply for $1,000 to $5,000 for local climate projects, funded by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Applications close Oct. 18.
by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago1 min read
Researchers get $812,016 to study Glacier Bay's iceberg seal habitat
Glacier Bay's harbor seals pup on icebergs. The glacier making those icebergs slowed 45 percent, and researchers got $812,016 to study what that means.
by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago2 min read
High wind warning: gusts to 70 mph Friday in the Eastern Alaska Range
Forecasters upgraded Friday's Eastern Alaska Range wind forecast to a warning. Gusts to 70 mph are expected, peaking between 4 and 10 in the morning.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Kuskokwim Delta villages rebuilding from Halong face another storm
Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, still rebuilding from last October's Typhoon Halong, face another storm this week, with coastal flooding possible Friday.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Sea ice loss has swamped El Niño's grip on Arctic autumns
El Niño used to cool Arctic autumns, but sea ice loss has swamped that signal — just as forecasters expect a possibly record-strong El Niño this fall.
by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago2 min read
An eclipsed Moon rises over Alaska Wednesday, with aurora possible after
Alaska gets a deep partial lunar eclipse Wednesday night plus a chance at aurora, on the first dark nights of the season. Best viewing 9:30 to 10 pm.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min read
A gale warning hits Bristol Bay and Aleutian waters Wednesday, with a second storm right behind
A gale warning hits Bristol Bay and Aleutian waters Wednesday, with winds topping 34 knots and seas to 11 feet, and a second storm is right behind it.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Fog cut visibility to a quarter mile at Gustavus, and it is coming back
Fog dropped visibility around Gustavus and Glacier Bay to a quarter mile or less Tuesday morning. More is expected between 10 pm and 4 am tonight.
by Alaska News1mo ago1 min read
It's going to be a windy one across Anchorage and Turnagain Arm on Tuesday
It's a windy one around Anchorage on Tuesday — gusts of 40 to 50 mph on the Hillside and Turnagain Arm, with a stronger system due late in the week.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Snow expected tonight at Atigun Pass, the high point of the Dalton Highway
Snow is expected at Atigun Pass tonight, 1 to 3 inches, with 3 to 6 inches on the peaks. BLM says storms drop snow there even in June and July.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Dalton Highway repairs begin Wednesday, narrowing it to one lane
Dalton Highway repairs at Milepost 315 start Wednesday with 24-hour flagging and up to 20-minute delays, narrowing the North Slope's main supply route to one lane.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Drones are dropping chaff over Nenana to try to stop lightning
A Vancouver startup is dropping metallic chaff from drones over Nenana to try to stop lightning before it starts wildfires. The flights run through Sept. 30.
by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago3 min read
Two rounds of rain this week could flood Susitna Valley gravel bars
Two rounds of rain this week could push rivers in the Susitna Valley toward bankfull. Gravel bars and low riverside camps may end up underwater.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Ketchikan faces 2 to 3.5 inches of rain, road ponding through Monday
An atmospheric river crosses the southern panhandle overnight into Monday, dropping up to 3.5 inches of rain on the Ketchikan area and standing water on roads.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago1 min read
Skagway is under another wind advisory, gusts to 40 mph through Saturday
Skagway is under yet another wind advisory, this one with gusts up to 40 mph through Saturday evening. Secure the loose gear; it's been a windy summer there.
by Alaska News1mo ago1 min read
