花椒直播 climate report: August, a time of meteorological change
Rod Boyce
907-474-7185
Sept. 10, 2025
August was a bit of a weather yo-yo in some parts of 花椒直播.
Kotzebue, Nome and Bethel had warm weather in the month鈥檚 first week but cooler than average temperatures later in the month, according to the August summary from the 花椒直播 Climate Research Center.
Cold Bay, Juneau, and stations in the Interior set several records for daily temperatures during a warm spell in the last third of the month.
The seasonal transition that began in August and continues in September is well underway in Interior 花椒直播. The season鈥檚 changing colors are visible around the West Ridge of the 花椒直播 Troth Yeddha鈥 campus in early September.
The 花椒直播 Climate Research Center, a part of the 花椒直播 Geophysical Institute, released its earlier this month.
Kotzebue also had a record wet month, receiving 5.36 inches of rain for 252% of normal. Two periods of heavy rain in the mid- and latter periods of the month combined to break the previous record of 5.26 inches set in 1998.
It was a far different story further south.
Southcentral and Southeast 花椒直播 were relatively dry, with Homer and Ketchikan recording less than 40% of normal August precipitation. Anchorage, Gulkana and Kodiak were moderately below normal.
August is a transition month.
鈥淲ith both temperature and precipitation remaining close to long-term normals in most of the state, August presented as a quiet bridge between summer warmth and fall鈥檚 advancing cool 鈥 a classic transition period,鈥 ACRC Director Martin Stuefer said.
Stuefer is also the 花椒直播 state climatologist.
Many areas still experience lingering summer warmth, long daylight hours, and the last stretches of the growing season at the start of August.
That soon changes, however, as daylight loss accumulates, temperatures begin to fall, and leaves begin to change color. Nighttime frost sometimes occurs. Southcentral and Southeast 花椒直播 often see an increase in rain. Tundra in the state鈥檚 north turns red and gold.
Other August highlights:
- An atmospheric river and subsequent storm systems brought heavy precipitation to western 花椒直播 and the Interior. Weather stations in and around Fairbanks received between about 1.5 inches at Fairbanks International Airport to over 4 inches in Chatanika during Aug. 22-25.
- Winter weather warnings were issued for the Dalton Highway and the Brooks Range in the month's final days.
- Arctic sea ice extent is approaching the seasonal minimum, which is typically reached around mid-September. Weekly change rates decreased slightly from the relatively high loss rates in July.
ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Martin Stuefer, mstuefer@alaska.edu
055-26