(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - June temperatures and precipitation were mixed statewide. Like May, Barrow had the highest positive deviation in temperature, which the Alaska Climate Center noted as most likely an effect of the substantial warming observed for northern Alaska over the past decades. The second largest positive deviation in June was Fairbanks with 1.2 degrees Fahrenheit. The greatest negative deviation was observed in Juneau with minus 2.9 degrees, followed by King Salmon at minus 2.5 degrees. The mean of the nine stations gave a slight negative deviation of minus 0.4 degrees.

Precipitation was also mixed, with five Alaska stations reporting above normal totals and four reporting below normal. Juneau topped the charts in June with slightly more than double the normal rainfall. Kodiak had a nice June with just 14 percent of the average amount.

Ketchikan's average temperature of 52.7 degrees Fahrenheit in June was 1.4 degrees below the long-term mean. The highest temperature of the month, 81 degrees, occurred June 23. This high temperature tied the record set in 2004. The monthly low temperature, 37 degrees, was observed on the 4th.

Ketchikan's monthly precipitation in June of 9.85 inches was nearly 50 percent above the long-term mean of 6.6 inches. No new records were set in June for Ketchikan as in May.

Monthly precipitation in May for Ketchikan was high with 19.25 inches, more than doubling the long-term mean of 8.2 inches. Remarkably, 4.73 inches of rain fell May 6, surpassing the old record for the day of 2.4 inches set in 1959. This total received within a single day surpasses the long-term annual total for Barrow. On the following day, 4.26 inches of rain were reported, again smashing the previous record for this day of 2.6 inches, which was set in 1973.

In Juneau, the average temperature for June was 51.7 degrees Fahrenheit, minus 2.9 degrees below the long-term mean. The maximum temperature for the month, 82 degrees Fahrenheit, occurred on the 23rd. The minimum temperature was 41 degrees and was recorded on the 3rd, 5th and 10th of the month. No new daily extremes were observed.

Juneau's precipitation totaled 6.69 inches, more than double the normal of 3.24 inches. It rained on 28 days of the month and June 2012 was the wettest June on record. The month topped the 6.22 inches recorded in June 1996. Despite the high monthly record precipitation, there were no daily records set. The mean monthly wind speed was 6.7 mph, with a maximum gust of 37 mph occurring on 24th. The gust blew from southeast. Unsurprisingly, mean cloudiness was high at 90 percent and only one day registered as fair.

In other areas around the state, in Fairbanks, the average June temperature was 61.6 degrees Fahrenheit, 1.2 degrees above the long-term mean. The high temperature for the month was 86 degrees on June 23rd. The month's low temperature, 43 degrees Fahrenheit, occurred June 13. For most of the month the temperature stayed above the expected trend and no new extremes were reported.

Fairbanks' precipitation in June was near normal and no new records were set. The mean wind speed was 4.1 mph, with the highest gust of 39 mph occurring on June 5th, blowing from an easterly direction.

In Big Delta, the mean June temperature was 57.9 degrees Fahrenheit, just above the long-term mean of 57.6 degrees. The highest monthly temperature, 83 degrees, was observed on the 23rd. The minimum temperature was 41 degrees and occurred June 1. The temperatures were mixed throughout the month with respect to the expected trend for June. No new daily records were observed.

Big Delta's precipitation in June was reported at 2.06 inches, 11 percent below the expected amount of 2.31 inches.

Anchorage recorded an average temperature in June of 54.3 degrees Fahrenheit, 0.9 degrees below the normal of 55.2 degrees. The maximum temperature of the month, 75 degrees, occurred on the 22nd. The month’s minimum temperature of 40 degrees was observed on the 4th and 5th of June. For the whole month, temperatures followed the expected trend fairly closely, with the exception of warmer temperatures around the 20th.

Precipitation in Anchorage was reported at 1.39 inches, which is 43 percent above the normal of 0.97 inches. The average cloudiness was high with 80 percent. The mean monthly wind speed was calculated as 6.9 mph, with the peak wind speed occurred on June 8 at 38 mph, blowing from the south.

Nome reported a mean monthly temperature in June of 47.9 degrees Fahrenheit, just above the normal of 47.8 degrees. The warmest monthly temperature, 76 degrees, was observed June 7. The coldest temperature, 30 degrees, occurred on the 2nd and 3rd. No new daily records were set.

Precipitation for Nome totaled 0.28 inches, just 29 percent of the normal value for June. The average wind speed for the month was 7.7 mph. The highest gust observed was 35 mph on June 12, blowing from the west.

Barrow reported an average temperature in June of 37.3 degrees Fahrenheit, 1.7 degrees above normal. The month was fairly close to the expected values, with the exception of warm days on the 15th and 18th. The 66 degrees experienced on the 18th was the maximum temperature for the month. The month’s minimum temperature, 28 degrees, occurred on June 1. No new temperature records were observed in June.

Precipitation in Barrow totaled 0.09 inches, just 28 percent of the long-term mean of 0.32 inches. Some snowfall was observed on five days, for a total amount of 0.1 inches. For the 2011-2012 winter, the total snowfall hit 76.1 inches — the second highest seasonal snowfall on record that stretches back to 1920. The mean monthly wind speed was 13.5 mph. A 43-mph-gust occurred June 21, blowing from the west.

King Salmon reported an average temperature of 49 degrees Fahrenheit, 2.5 degrees below normal. The high temperature was 78 degrees on the 22nd, which was a new record high. The former record had been 75 degrees set in 2001. On the 21st, the temperature reached a high of 74 degrees, tying the record set in 1993. The month’s low temperature, 32 degrees, occurred June 1. There was a new daily record low on the 14th. It was a chilly 33 degrees Fahrenheit. The old record was 34 degrees set in 2002.

King Salmon's precipitation total was measured at 2.47 inches, 50 percent above the normal of 1.65 inches. The rainfall on June 19 was 0.72 inches and surpassed the old record for the day in 1955. Average wind speed was 8.4 mph. The highest gust, 36 mph, was recorded on the 15th, blowing from the east.

Kodiak's average temperature of 50.5 degrees for June was 0.8 degrees above the long-term mean. The highest temperature measured was 74 degrees on the 17th. The month’s low temperature, 38 degrees, occurred on the 2nd, 5th, 6th and 7th. No new records were set.

Kodiak's monthly precipitation was very light at 0.8 inches, only 14 percent of the normal of 5.91 inches. The monthly average wind speed was calculated at 6.6 mph. On June 17, a gust of 37 mph was recorded, blowing from the west.

Edited by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

Related column:

Sometimes You Do Have to Shovel Rain By DAVE KIFFER - So our climatically-challenged cousins in Juneau are crying because they had 6.69 inches of rain in June. It was the wettest June on record in the Capital City. - More...
Friday - July 06, 2012

This information consists of preliminary climatological data compiled by the Alaska Climate Research Center, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks.

Source of News: 

Alaska Climate Research Center
http://akclimate.org

SitNews ©2012
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska

Articles & photographs that appear in SitNews may be protected by copyright and may not be reprinted without written permission from and payment of any required fees to the proper sources.