Weather & Climate
RSSAlaska News tracks weather and climate events affecting Alaska communities, including volcanic activity, wildfires, and smoke impacts.
A glacier-dammed lake is emptying into the Salmon River near Hyder
A glacier-dammed lake above Hyder is draining out the bottom of the Salmon Glacier, swelling the Salmon River and threatening the Premier road — like it has almost every summer since 1961.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
More than 200 Alaska watersheds have turned orange
Uh-ohh. More than 200 Brooks Range watersheds have turned orange in a decade as thawing permafrost releases iron and metals — rusting rivers that villages drink from and fish.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Wind Advisory: gusts to 65 mph forecast for Anchorage Tuesday
Wind Advisory in effect for Anchorage Tuesday, July 14, 4 AM to 10 PM, with gusts to 65 mph. Secure outdoor objects and expect difficult driving and possible power outages.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Higher-than-normal tides along western Alaska's coast through Tuesday
Higher-than-normal tides hit western Alaska's coast through Tuesday, up to 3 feet over the high tide line in Eastern Norton Sound. Move gear off the beach.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Saturday's wind split the Bering Sea fleet by boat size
Saturday's 45-knot gusts appear to have split the Bering Sea fleet — small set-netters in, big drift boats out — though the report's from a citizen post, not an agency.
by Bill AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Heat advisory warns Arctic Plains villages of 80-degree Monday
National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for Arctic Plains villages warning of 80-degree temperatures Monday, when most homes lack air conditioning.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
NWS Juneau narrows wind advisory to Ketchikan, Annette Island, Prince of Wales
NWS Juneau narrowed a wind advisory Monday afternoon to Ketchikan, Annette Island, and Prince of Wales Island through 7 p.m., with southeast winds gusting to 45 mph and heavy rain expected.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
A tale of two Junes at the top of the world
Alaska's North Slope just had its coolest June since 2018 — even as the wider Arctic logged its warmest since 1950. Same month, opposite stories.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A strong El Niño is likely this winter, warm and wet for Southern Alaska
A strong El Niño is 90% likely this winter, tilting Southern Alaska warmer and wetter — but on the coast that often means rain over snow, and the Interior may stay dry.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago1 min read
As Alaska's permafrost thaws, its rivers are running rusty.
Thawing permafrost is leaching iron into Alaska's streams, turning some of them rusty orange and threatening subsistence fish — and a new Army contract will trace where it's coming from.
by Melinda Communities.News2mo ago1 min read
Heatwave-driven mortality identified as key cause of Yukon Chinook crash
A new study pins the Yukon Chinook collapse on heatwave-driven deaths of young salmon at sea, not just low recruitment or overharvest, meaning harvest closures alone won't fix the crash.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Beaufort Sea nearly ice-locked in early July, a level unseen since before 2001
The southern Beaufort Sea is nearly ice-locked in early July with less than 0.3 percent open water, the highest ice extent since 2000.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Anchorage Assembly asked to add $75K to Rabbit Creek road contract after heavy breakup damage
Anchorage Assembly will vote July 7 on adding $75,000 to a Rabbit Creek road maintenance contract after this winter's heavy breakup damaged roads faster than expected.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Barents Sea hits record low ice while Beaufort stays locked, splitting Arctic in two
Barents Sea hit record low ice in June while Alaska's Beaufort Sea stayed locked, shifting when North Slope communities can hunt and travel.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 2mo ago3 min read
Wind advisory, heavy rain target southern Southeast Alaska through Monday evening
Wind Advisory and heavy rain hit southern Southeast Alaska through Monday evening, with gusts to 45 mph and 1 to 3 inches of rain expected across Prince of Wales Island, Ketchikan, and Sitka.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Chukchi Sea ice runs above median for third straight late June
Sea ice off Wainwright sits thick and late for the third straight June, delaying walrus and whale hunts in an Iñupiat community where ice sets the hunt's terms.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago2 min read
Ketchikan is about to get drenched
Ketchikan and Annette Island could get up to 2.75 inches of rain Monday — a real soaking, even for one of the rainiest corners of the country.
by Walter AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Rough water off Alaska's Arctic and Northwest coasts, easing by Sunday
Small craft advisories are up for Alaska's Arctic and Northwest coasts through Friday — winds near 25 knots, seas to 7 feet — before things calm down by Sunday.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
A landslide has closed the Dalton Highway, the main road to the North Slope
A rain-triggered landslide closed the Dalton Highway north of Coldfoot on Monday — blocking the main road to the North Slope and the freight bound for the oil fields.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2mo ago1 min read
Taku River glacial outburst flood warning in effect until 11 p.m. tonight
A glacial outburst flood warning is in effect on the Taku River until 11 p.m. tonight, with fast water and debris hazardous to boaters.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Weekend rain could push Interior Alaska rivers to a rare high
Rain starting Saturday evening could push Interior Alaska rivers to levels seen only once every 5 to 10 years — a warning to anyone recreating near the water.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
NWS warns Susitna Valley gravel bars may flood by Wednesday
National Weather Service warns gravel bars and campsites across the Susitna Valley will flood by Wednesday as 1 to 2 inches of rain falls and rivers crest.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Klehini River flows elevated near Klukwan as snowmelt continues in Chilkat Valley
Elevated snowmelt is pushing the Klehini River near Klukwan above normal through Monday evening, with flows exceeding 6,000 cubic feet per second.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
If you're camped on a Susitna gravel bar this week, watch the river
Up to 3 inches of rain is about to hit the Susitna Valley, and the gravel bars everyone camps on are exactly what floods first. Maybe move the tent.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Heat and fire risk converge across Interior Alaska for solstice weekend
Interior Alaska's longest weekend brings heat its houses can't handle and lightning that could light the woods. Hydrate, and go check on grandma.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Alyeska Seeks Land to Armor the Pipeline Against Floods
Alyeska wants more North Slope land to wall the pipeline off from flooding — the same week the rivers are rising, and a year after the Sag took out the Dalton Highway for real.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
High Water Threatens Alaska's Only Road North
A rain-fed surge down the Koyukuk could wash out the Dalton Highway — the lone road feeding the North Slope oil fields — the same way 2015's flooding shut it for 28 days.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Nuiqsut's Lifeline River Is Rising Again
The Colville is flooding again from Umiat toward Nuiqsut — a year after hitting its highest level on record — and it's the only road the village's fuel and fish travel on.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Sag River nears bankfull, threatening Dalton Highway washout
Sagavanirktok River near bankfull on North Slope threatens Dalton Highway washouts between mileposts 310 and 340 through Thursday afternoon, with ice-blocked culverts posing particular risk to the primary road serving oil fields and communities.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Flood Watch: Koyukuk rises threaten Coldfoot, Wiseman, Bettles
National Weather Service issued a Flood Watch through Tuesday evening for the Upper Koyukuk Valley after heavy rain and snowmelt pushed steep water rises toward Wiseman, Coldfoot, and Bettles along the Dalton Highway.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Palmer faces blowing dust, 45-mph gusts as Gulf storm hits Sunday
Palmer and the Lower Matanuska Valley will face 45-mph wind gusts and blowing dust Sunday, creating hazardous driving conditions on the Glenn Highway.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
60 mph gusts forecast for Portage, Anchorage Hillside Sunday
Strong winds with gusts to 60 mph will hit Portage and Anchorage Hillside on Sunday, with potential for downed trees and power outages.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Red Flag Warnings span Interior Alaska as fire season intensifies
Delta didn't start a fire. But it could be burning, cause the wind is churning.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
North Slope rivers expected to rise as snowmelt, rain combine
It's finally spring in the arctic
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Gale-force winds, 15-foot seas forecast for Yakutat waters this weekend
Gale-force winds and 15-foot seas will hit Yakutat waters Friday night through Sunday, with heavy rain expected to bring 2 to 4 inches to the area.
by Alaska News3mo ago1 min read
Delta Junction faces back-to-back Red Flag days with 55 mph gusts
Delta Junction faces Red Flag Warnings Saturday and Sunday with 55 mph gusts, 20 percent humidity, and dry grass ready to burn. Alaska Division of Forestry and Fire Protection urges residents to skip burning this weekend.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 3mo ago1 min read
Utqiaġvik records second-coldest May high in 105 years
Utqiaġvik recorded its second-coldest May high in 105 years at 29°F while most of the Arctic ran warm, triggering river ice jams that flooded Holy Cross and its airstrip in late May.
by Maggie AlaskaNews3mo ago2 min read
Dense fog blankets Kenai Peninsula for third straight day
Dense fog cut visibility to a quarter mile on the Sterling Highway between Soldotna and Homer for three straight mornings, prompting the National Weather Service to issue repeated advisories through Friday morning.
by Walter AlaskaNews3mo ago1 min read
Yakutat braces for gale-force winds, 10-15 ft seas this weekend
Gale-force winds and 10 to 15 foot seas will hit Yakutat's coastal waters starting Friday night through the weekend, with 2 to 3 inches of rain expected.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min read
Frost advisories hit Fairbanks gardens during planting season
Frost advisories across Fairbanks and Interior valleys this week threaten early-season gardens, with temperatures expected to drop into the low 30s overnight through Wednesday.
by Alaska News3mo ago1 min read
