The island community of Kodiak set the record on Sunday and scientists fear the population will be deluged with rain as climate warms
Summary
- An unusual winter warm spell in Alaska has brought daytime temperatures soaring past 15.5C (60F) and torrents of rain at a time of year normally associated with bitter cold and snow.
- At the island community of Kodiak, the air temperature at a tidal gauge hit 19.4C (67F) degrees on Sunday, the highest December reading ever recorded in Alaska, said scientist Rick Thoman of the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy.
- Normally, December is a dry month in interior Alaska because the usually frigid air cannot hold much moisture.
- The Alaska Department for Transportation warned that roads will remain treacherous for a long time because of the cement-like ice coating that has formed on them.
- A study published last month in the journal Nature Communications projected an Arctic climate with more winter rain than snow starting around 2060 or 2070.