Lack of snow drives Iditarod start 250 miles north | NOAA
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Reviewer: Rick Thoman
Alaska’s
famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race traditionally starts in the
southern coastal city of Anchorage. Yesterday, however, the race kicked
off in Fairbanks, 250 miles farther north, for the first time since 2003
and only the second time in the history of the race. Back in February,
officials decided to reroute the trail due to a lack of snow cover and safety concerns.
The map at right show model-estimated snow depth across the state as of March 9, 2015. Snow depth increases from gray (one foot or less), to blue, to white (3 feet or more). Anchorage had only trace amounts of snow while Fairbanks was covered in 8-12 inches.
The historical Iditarod trail routes are shown in black. Upon leaving Anchorage, the trail splits into northern (used in even years) and southern (used in odd years) routes at the town of Ophir. This year, teams arriving from Fairbanks will intersect with the northern route at the town of Ruby. At Galena, the trail takes an additional detour, heading north to Huslia. As usual, the race will end in Nome. This year’s route is 18.65 miles shorter than the Anchorage-Nome route.
Except for three weeks in late January / early February, Alaska has been stuck in a pattern of mild temperatures since November. This is related to the warm-cold split that developed in the atmosphere over the Pacific and North America this past winter, which favored cold, snowy conditions in the east and left the western half of the country unseasonably warm and dry. If you happened to be in Fairbanks or Nome on February 24, for example, you would have been enjoying warmer temperatures (29°F and 28°F, respectively) than Chicago (16°F) or New York City (18°F).
Overall, Alaska experienced its 7th warmest winter on record this year, with an average temperature 11.1°F above the 1971-2000 average, marking the warmest winter for the state since 2002-03.
According to the Third National Climate assessment, Alaska has warmed more than twice as rapidly as the rest of the United States over the past 60 years.
Mild winter temperatures have brought hazardous freezing rain events in place of snow in many locations across Alaska. Anchorage closed out the month of February with only 1.1 inches of snow—the fifth lowest February snow total on record. As of March 1, the seasonal snow total was only at 20.5 inches. Meanwhile, over on the East Coast, Boston had its snowiest month of any month since records began with 64.8 inches of snow.
The 11-mile ceremonial start, which remained in Anchorage this year, was held on Sunday. According to news reports, city crews delivered up to 350 dump truck loads of snow the night beforehand. The next day brought “very un-Iditarod-like conditions,” with rain falling at a balmy 40 degrees. Fortunately for the competitive race, around 4 inches of snowfall fell in Fairbanks as recently as March 7, priming trail conditions at the new starting line.
Last year, sparse snow cover at several points along the trail exposed roots, tree stumps, and other hazardous obstacles. Lack of snow also made it harder for mushers to brake their speeding dogs. Only a few days in, several mushers—veterans among them—were forced to drop out because of injuries due to crashes.
Caption by Caitlyn Kennedy. Maps by NOAA Climate.gov, based on modeled snow depth data (0.01 decimal degree resolution) provided by the NWS National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center.
Related Links
Alaska. Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment, digital version. Accessed March 9, 2015.
Iditarod Trail Committee Website (2015, Feb. 11): The 2015 Restart will be in Fairbanks. Accessed March 9, 2015.
Iditarod Trail Committee Website (2015, March 7): Great Conditions in Fairbanks, Trail Update. Accessed March 9, 2015.
NOAA National Climatic Data Center’s Climatological Rankings. Accessed March 9, 2015.
NOAA National Climatic Data Center’s State of the Climate National Summary Information - February 2015. Accessed March 9, 2015.
The map at right show model-estimated snow depth across the state as of March 9, 2015. Snow depth increases from gray (one foot or less), to blue, to white (3 feet or more). Anchorage had only trace amounts of snow while Fairbanks was covered in 8-12 inches.
The historical Iditarod trail routes are shown in black. Upon leaving Anchorage, the trail splits into northern (used in even years) and southern (used in odd years) routes at the town of Ophir. This year, teams arriving from Fairbanks will intersect with the northern route at the town of Ruby. At Galena, the trail takes an additional detour, heading north to Huslia. As usual, the race will end in Nome. This year’s route is 18.65 miles shorter than the Anchorage-Nome route.
Except for three weeks in late January / early February, Alaska has been stuck in a pattern of mild temperatures since November. This is related to the warm-cold split that developed in the atmosphere over the Pacific and North America this past winter, which favored cold, snowy conditions in the east and left the western half of the country unseasonably warm and dry. If you happened to be in Fairbanks or Nome on February 24, for example, you would have been enjoying warmer temperatures (29°F and 28°F, respectively) than Chicago (16°F) or New York City (18°F).
Overall, Alaska experienced its 7th warmest winter on record this year, with an average temperature 11.1°F above the 1971-2000 average, marking the warmest winter for the state since 2002-03.
According to the Third National Climate assessment, Alaska has warmed more than twice as rapidly as the rest of the United States over the past 60 years.
Mild winter temperatures have brought hazardous freezing rain events in place of snow in many locations across Alaska. Anchorage closed out the month of February with only 1.1 inches of snow—the fifth lowest February snow total on record. As of March 1, the seasonal snow total was only at 20.5 inches. Meanwhile, over on the East Coast, Boston had its snowiest month of any month since records began with 64.8 inches of snow.
The 11-mile ceremonial start, which remained in Anchorage this year, was held on Sunday. According to news reports, city crews delivered up to 350 dump truck loads of snow the night beforehand. The next day brought “very un-Iditarod-like conditions,” with rain falling at a balmy 40 degrees. Fortunately for the competitive race, around 4 inches of snowfall fell in Fairbanks as recently as March 7, priming trail conditions at the new starting line.
Last year, sparse snow cover at several points along the trail exposed roots, tree stumps, and other hazardous obstacles. Lack of snow also made it harder for mushers to brake their speeding dogs. Only a few days in, several mushers—veterans among them—were forced to drop out because of injuries due to crashes.
Caption by Caitlyn Kennedy. Maps by NOAA Climate.gov, based on modeled snow depth data (0.01 decimal degree resolution) provided by the NWS National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center.
Related Links
Alaska. Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment, digital version. Accessed March 9, 2015.
Iditarod Trail Committee Website (2015, Feb. 11): The 2015 Restart will be in Fairbanks. Accessed March 9, 2015.
Iditarod Trail Committee Website (2015, March 7): Great Conditions in Fairbanks, Trail Update. Accessed March 9, 2015.
NOAA National Climatic Data Center’s Climatological Rankings. Accessed March 9, 2015.
NOAA National Climatic Data Center’s State of the Climate National Summary Information - February 2015. Accessed March 9, 2015.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Published Mar 12 2015 07:16 AM EDT
Blizzard conditions have forced a delay in the construction of a large telescope in Hawaii.
The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for the Big Island's volcanic peaks of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. The warning says that 5-8 inches of snow is possible above 11,000 feet through Thursday. Winds were forecast to be sustained at 45 to 65 mph with gusts to 85 mph possible.
The Associated Press said that construction preparations were to begin on the Thirty Meter Telescope near the summit of Hawaii's Mauna Kea until snowy conditions developed on Monday, closing the access road.
Ryan Lyman, meteorologist for the Mauna Kea Weather Center, told The Associated Press that winds were pounding the area and that snow was all over the place.
The telescope construction is a $1.4-billion project and should help scientists see some 13 billion light years away for a glimpse into the early years of the universe.
However, some are against the construction of this telescope since its being built near the summit of a mountain held sacred by Native Hawaiians. Last year, a groundbreaking and Hawaiian blessing ceremony were disrupted by protesters.
According to Ken Rubin, an assistant professor of geology and geophysics at the University of Hawaii, "it snows here every year, but only at the very summits of our three tallest volcanoes (Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and Haleakala)."
"The snow level almost never gets below 9,000 feet in Hawaii during the winter, but since these mountains are taller than 13,600 feet, 13,700 feet and 10,000 feet, respectively, they get dusted with snow a few times a year. It rarely stays on the ground for more than a few days though."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning for the Big Island's volcanic peaks of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. The warning says that 5-8 inches of snow is possible above 11,000 feet through Thursday. Winds were forecast to be sustained at 45 to 65 mph with gusts to 85 mph possible.
The Associated Press said that construction preparations were to begin on the Thirty Meter Telescope near the summit of Hawaii's Mauna Kea until snowy conditions developed on Monday, closing the access road.
Ryan Lyman, meteorologist for the Mauna Kea Weather Center, told The Associated Press that winds were pounding the area and that snow was all over the place.
The telescope construction is a $1.4-billion project and should help scientists see some 13 billion light years away for a glimpse into the early years of the universe.
However, some are against the construction of this telescope since its being built near the summit of a mountain held sacred by Native Hawaiians. Last year, a groundbreaking and Hawaiian blessing ceremony were disrupted by protesters.
Is Hawaii Snow Unusual?
Though it may sound unusual to have snow in the forecast for Hawaii, it's more common than you might think.According to Ken Rubin, an assistant professor of geology and geophysics at the University of Hawaii, "it snows here every year, but only at the very summits of our three tallest volcanoes (Mauna Loa, Mauna Kea and Haleakala)."
"The snow level almost never gets below 9,000 feet in Hawaii during the winter, but since these mountains are taller than 13,600 feet, 13,700 feet and 10,000 feet, respectively, they get dusted with snow a few times a year. It rarely stays on the ground for more than a few days though."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
No comments:
Post a Comment