As the Arctic roasts, Alaska bakes in one of its warmest winters ever

By Jason Samenow
23 February 2016 (Washington Post) – This winter’s shocking warmth in the Arctic, some seven degrees above average, has oozed into the Alaska which is experiencing one of its mildest recorded winters. So far this winter, Alaska’s temperature has averaged about 10 degrees above normal, ranking third warmest in records that date back to 1925. Unusually warm temperatures and a profound lack of snow are affecting areas all over the state. The index which ranks the severity of winter shows Anchorage is having one of its gentlest winters on record. In one a 50-day stretch spanning January and February, Anchorage was warmer than normal on 49 of them. Other parts of southern Alaska have seen temperatures remain above normal for more than 50 consecutive days. And, for the first time on record, not a single observing location in Alaska has recorded a temperature of minus-50 or colder. [more]