Gakona

"The river was iced over for less then 6 weeks! As opposed to 5 months of ice 2 to 3 feet thick before climate change."

Officials say the floodwaters are swamping Alaska towns, tearing buildings from foundations, seeping into homes and covering roads. In Glennallen, the local utility is setting up Porta-Potties around the community, and area residents are asked to limit water usage. The state transportation department said there was water over a portion of the Glenn Highway on Monday, but the road remained open.

The Copper River Basin in Alaska has experienced less reliable snow and ice conditions in recent years, impacting winter activities such as trapping, hunting, and gathering firewood. This study, based on nine oral interviews with local residents, reveals that crossing rivers has become more treacherous and difficult, with significant changes in ice conditions observed since the 1970s. Decreased snowpacks and increased shrub growth have also posed obstacles for accessing winter trails, requiring individuals to cut through forests. These changes, combined with socio-economic and technological factors, have affected the way people engage in winter activities in the Copper River Basin. Overall, this research contributes to the understanding of climate change's impact on winter activities in Alaska and the Circumpolar North.

It is clear blue skies, 12 below and number 54 days without wind. I have never seen a January without wind so it’s a whole new phenomenon.

The fall wind or the hunting wind would have a warmth to it. The first winter wind was impossible to miss. Made you run for the campfire. Now you have such a mad mixture of wind you don’t even know what to call it. It’s 360 degrees and no sensible outcome.

A very small cub was photographed in Chistochina this week, raising questions about why it has not grown larger for this late in the year.

"Now I have seen the current muddy at break up but usually after prolonged warming and winds. This one is about a month ahead of the game."

"Been a cool dry fall. The snow line hit twice in late August and once in September at the 4000 foot level. We saw 22 degrees several times in September and twice in August so general frost is in town. But no ice on shore lines so the rivers and lakes are staying warm even as the chill sets in"

The mauling left the man with a crushed jaw, a puncture wound in his scalp so deep the doctor told him he could see bone, lacerations and many stitches after a 4 1/2-hour surgery.

The 61-year-old man was flown to an Anchorage hospital for treatment of his injuries, troopers said.

Early budding willows (genus Salix) were observed on the Chistochina Trail during temperatures of 18 above Fahrenheit. The average temperature on March 23, 2021 was 10 degrees Fahrenheit, the coldest temperature on the day in the past twenty years.

"The Chistochina River froze over and went to overflow by the second of February which means we went through the New Year and January with the river running open. First time that I know of."

The winds have been unusual this fall. Usually a north wind is "part and parcel of the turn of the season" but so far the wind has been "sporadic without a sense of direction."

"In a summer of continuous rainfall I would presume glorious growth and tons of picking...but this did not happen. The blueberries never took off, neither did the soap berries known to us as bear berries."

Mosquito populations may be down, but the gnats, no-see-ums, white sox and several other unidentified bugs were relentless.

Forests around Gakona saw abundant aphids and defoliation from sawflies or caterpillars.

Orchids often reproduce by sending up additional shoots from the rhizome, but can produce seeds. When they do, the seeds are lightweight and are easily blown around by the wind. The dried swamp may have provided the right nutrients and optimal environment for germination.

Above average winter precipitation may have contributed to high winter survival rates among wood frogs, which emerged during warm spring temperatures.

Willows are budding early, following temperature swings of 40 to approximately -32 degrees Fahrenheit between February and March.