LEO Network

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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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Observations

Toxic algal blooms in Southeast will likely become less predictable with warming seas
Sitka had an early bloom that led to high shellfish toxins in April, and there is currently a paralytic shellfish toxin advisory across Southeast for recreational and subsistence harvest.
Sitka, Alaska, United States
KTOO

As Alaska warms, Arctic geese are skipping their southern migration
Warming temperatures and declining ice cover at Izembek Lagoon are leading thousands of Pacific black brant to overwinter in the Bering Sea instead of flying to southern wintering grounds.
Cold Bay, Alaska, United States
KUCB

Kuskokwim breakup proceeds at rapid pace for middle-river communities
The Kuskokwim River breakup has reached Sleetmute and Red Devil more than 200 miles downstream in five days—about five days ahead of schedule—with low flooding potential reported for middle-river communities.
Middle Kuskokwim River, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Disappearing Nunatsiavut sea ice continues as climate change dramatically alters Labrador landscape
Sea ice in Nunatsiavut is forming later and melting sooner, disrupting Inuit travel, hunting and culture; the SmartICE program combines technology and traditional knowledge to help communities adapt.
Nain, Nunatsiavut, Canada
CBC News

Wild Reindeer Threatened by Tourists and Early Spring: “This Can’t Continue!”
An expert warns that early snowmelt and increasing ski tourism in vulnerable high‑altitude calving areas on Hardangervidda and Nordfjella are disturbing Norway’s wild reindeer during their critical breeding season.
Hardangervidda and Nordfjella, Buskerud, Norway
NRK

Unpredictable Alaska winter and spring keep gardeners guessing
We have a lot of phenological events, but how much snow and when it falls are not part of that scheme. If you did not mulch last fall, you are going to lose some and maybe many of your perennials.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Warm March accelerates spring blooms
A warm March has triggered an early spring bloom in Finland with wood anemone and common hepatica appearing ahead of their usual schedule.
Various locations, Finland, Finland
Yle News

Polar bears on Svalbard tend to leave dens earlier
A new study finds that polar bears in Svalbard are beginning to leave their dens with cubs one week earlier than before 2016, a trend that may be linked to climate change and the resulting loss of sea ice.
Svalbard, Svalbard, Norway
Eye on the Arctic

Signs of drought in B.C.'s latest snow, water supply bulletin
British Columbia’s March snowpack averaged just 79 percent of normal, up from 63 percent a year ago but still low enough to raise the province’s drought risk for spring and summer.
British Columbia, Canada
CTV News

Polar bears on Svalbard tend to leave dens earlier
The study, conducted by Canadian and Norwegian scientists, highlights that in the last decade, polar bears have on average started leaving their dens with cubs one week earlier than was recorded before 2016.
Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen

Polar bears on Svalbard tend to leave dens earlier
A new study by Canadian and Norwegian researchers shows that polar bear mothers in Svalbard are leaving dens with their cubs about one week earlier than before 2016, a shift potentially linked to climate change.
Svalbard, Svalbard, Norway
The Barents Observer

Finland sees exceptionally warm April
April was 1–2 °C warmer than the 1991–2020 average in Finland, with a high of 22.9 °C in Rauma and a low of –23.8 °C in Kilpisjärvi. Sunshine was above average, while southern areas and Lapland saw increased rainfall.
Finland
Yle News

Scientists witnessed a ‘Humpback Palooza’ in the Arctic. Local hunters worry about what that could mean for subsistence.
In recent years, researchers have documented salmon surviving in North Slope rivers, bowhead whales expanding their foraging grounds and humpbacks moving into the Arctic.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

An ‘exceptional’ warning for Alaska: wildfire danger in early March
Scant snow is giving way to shaggy brown grass normally not seen until spring breakup, raising concerns now that conditions are increasingly ripe for a fast-moving fire at a time of year usually deep in the grip of winter.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Kuskokwim 300 delayed 2 weeks due to low snow and warm temperatures
The Kuskokwim 300 sled dog race has been postponed by two weeks due to low snowfall and above-freezing temperatures in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
Bethel, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Fish Camp in Alaska — Without the Fish
In Ruby, Alaska, Indigenous families face cultural and nutritional challenges as climate change and fisheries management impact the availability of chinook and chum salmon, central to their traditions.
Ruby, Alaska, United States
Alaska Beacon

Alaska’s climate and environment continue to change, including in some ‘astounding’ ways
Alaska is experiencing rapid environmental changes, including record-high temperatures, shrinking sea ice, increased wildfires, and unusual wildlife patterns, such as the decline of salmon and the rise of snow goose populations.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Landslides to late freezes: New report makes sense of changes to Alaska's environment
A newly updated report titled 'Alaska's Changing Environment' explores the climatic shifts affecting Alaska, from landslides to late freezes, emphasizing the significant impact of climate change.
Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Balsam fir trees 'at risk' in New Brunswick amid a changing climate
Research from the University of New Brunswick indicates that balsam fir trees are at risk due to climate change, with rising temperatures and drought conditions being key concerns.
New Brunswick, Canada
CBC News

Dire condition of Alaska's seafood industry has many causes and no easy fixes, experts say
Alaska's seafood industry is facing significant challenges due to climate change, geopolitical factors, and economic pressures. Efforts to address these issues are underway, but solutions are complex and require substantial investment and policy change.
Alaska, United States
Alaska Beacon

The hard choices facing B.C. farmers after record crop losses due to 'weather whiplash'
A sudden cold snap devastated peach and wine grape crops in B.C., compounding economic challenges faced by apple-growers, leading farmers to diversify or sell their land.
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Sun

Floods in Spain impact Icelandic Christmas tradition
Flooding in Valencia, Spain, has significantly decreased the supply of clementines to Iceland for Christmas, as only a quarter of the usual volume is expected this year.
Valencia, Spain
Vísir

Where mosquito season is getting longer
The Northeast, which has warmed faster than the rest of the country, saw the biggest jump in mosquito days. Look up how mosquito season has changed in your town.
Houston, Texas, United States
Washington Post

Alaska beekeepers kill their colonies every fall, but an Anchorage man has another way
An Anchorage beekeeper has learned how to help his honeybee colonies survive to see spring, and he’s teaching others to do the same.
Alaska Public Media

New Sitka research could help berry pickers adjust to climate change
In Southeast Alaska, and across the state, climate change is bringing more rainfall, less winter snowfall and hotter temperatures. According to the project’s lead researcher Alex McCarrel, those changes disrupt berry development because a berry plant’s life cycle is precisely tuned to its environment.
Sitka, Alaska, United States

As Arctic warms, female arctic ground squirrels end hibernation before males – a mismatch with consequences
As Alaskan permafrost warms, hibernating arctic ground squirrels generate less heat, causing females to emerge from hibernation up to 10 days before their male counterparts – a mismatch that could have large, cascading ecological impacts. While reduced thermogenesis due to warming temperatures could allow the squirrels to conserve energy and, thus, increase winter survival, a shortened hibernation season could also increase the exposure of the animals to hungry predators, altering mortality rates, particularly for earlier emerging female squirrels. The phenological mismatch between the sexes may also disrupt reproductive rates. And over longer time scales, continued warming in the Arctic may lead to changes in male squirrel seasonal behaviors, say the authors.
Alaska, United States
EurekAlert!

How will climate change affect Arctic agriculture?
“Warmer and wetter winters shorten the winter season and prolong the growing season, which give rise to new opportunities. Among other things, this includes higher annual yield with several harvests, along with the possibility to grow new, more productive crop varieties and species,” says Dr Sigridur Dalmannsdottir at NIBIO.
Arctic
The Independent Barents Observer

Climate change is impacting bird migration patterns. Here's what we know
Climate change is affecting all aspects of our land, and also what flies in our sky. Bird migration is changing as average temperatures rise. So what does that mean for our bird species?
Canada
CBC

Positive tests for tick-borne illness in N.S. dogs up sharply, says vet
The number of dogs testing positive for tick-borne illnesses has nearly doubled this year, says a Nova Scotia veterinarian. Jeff Goodall, the owner and a veterinarian at Sunnyview Animal Care, said the problems go beyond Lyme disease. Anaplasmosis is also a concern. He said dogs have been testing positive for tick-borne illnesses throughout the winter.
Nova Scotia, Canada
CBC

Alaska extends studded-tire removal deadlines in wake of snowy winter
Drivers in much of Alaska including Anchorage will have until May 15 to remove studded tires; those in southern areas will have until May 1.

Native knowledge of great lakes ecology: Climate changes to Odawa lands
Climate change has been observed for hundreds of years by the plant specialists of three Odawa Tribes in the Upper Great Lakes along Lake Michigan. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is the focus of two National Park Service (NPS) studies of Odawa Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) of plants, ecosystems, and climate change. Data collected during these studies contributed to developing Plant Gathering Agreements between tribes and parks. This analysis derived from 95 ethnographic interviews conducted by University of Arizona (UofA) anthropologists in partnership with tribal appointed representatives. Odawa people recognized in the park 288 plants and five habitats of traditional and contemporary concern. Tribal representatives explained that 115 of these traditional plants and all five habitats are known from multigenerational eyewitness accounts to have been impacted by climate change. The TEK study thus represents what Native people know about the environment. These research findings are neither intended to test their TEK nor the findings of Western science.
Glen Arbor, Michigan, United States
Frontiers

In northernmost Alaska, a battle is on to limit the damages of permafrost thaw
Warming soils beneath Utqiagvik are triggering erosion that threatens homes, infrastructure and cultural resources. The North Slope has seen some of the fastest changes in coastal erosion in the nation.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
KTOO

Climate change driving narwhals to change migration timings
Researchers have detected striking changes in narwhal migration times driven by climate changes in the North. "Our long-term dataset identified that passage boundary crossing dates were associated with changing sea ice dynamics as a result of climate change," the researchers said in their paper p
Eye on the Arctic

Amid Alaska’s permafrost areas, more soil is staying thawed year-round, UAF scientists find
Warmer winters and thicker layers of insulating snow are spurring creation of more taliks, sections of ground that doesn’t freeze even in winter.
Teller, Alaska, United States
KTOO

Winter means hibernation for some — but not all — of Kodiak’s bears
By late November and into early December, they head into their dens for hibernation — but not all of them. About 30% of the Kodiak male bear population don’t den at all, according to a state biologist.
Kodiak, Alaska, United States

In October 1821, Franklin survived the NWT (just). In October 2021, should his name survive here?
Two hundred years ago this month, some Englishmen far from home were struggling for survival in the Northwest Territories’ barrenlands. Now, Yellowknife’s main street is named for the man in charge. Chief Edward Sangris of the Yellowknives Dene community of Dettah, across the bay from Yellowknife, said he and many other community members have no attachment to Franklin and the colonial history he represents.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Declining sea ice in Kotzebue Sound is shortening subsistence hunt for seals, study finds
Seal meat makes up a good portion of what’s in subsistence hunters’ freezers in Kotzebue. But the sea ice the seals haul out on is diminishing, and new research shows that's shortening the window to hunt seals.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

Western Arctic Caribou Population and Migration Patterns Continue to Change
The number of animals in the Western Arctic Caribou Herd (WACH) is down by 20 percent. The calving parturition average was also significantly lower than recent years, with 2020 at 67%.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

Changing climate means more landslides in future, scientists say in wake of Haines disaster
The region is prime landslide territory and a changing climate - trending toward warmer, rainier winters - is likely to increase the frequency of slides in the future.
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

Seasons are changing length, new comparison shows
Winters are getting shorter and summers are getting longer, a new comparison shows. In most regions of the U.S. and Canada, summer is about 6-10% longer and winter is about 7-11% shorter. In Alaska, winters are about 30% shorter than they were just a lifetime ago.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Arctic Sounder

Haines Borough convenes task force to deal with roaming, dumpster-flipping bears
According to Haines Borough Police Chief Heath Scott, the department received 182 bear-related calls in 2019. That is more than double the number of bear-related calls they received the previous year. Said Fish and Game bear biologist Anthony Crupi, “With really low returns of pink salmon and coho salmon this year, bears are really searching out any opportunities they can find” .
Haines, Alaska, United States

Extraordinarily warm fall a big problem in Canadian Arctic
Temperatures across the Arctic have been warmer than usual this fall, with one community in the Northwest Territories recording above-average temperatures for 72 days in a row.
Canadian Arctic
CTVNews

Ask a Climatologist: Where's winter?
There has been little snowfall, temperatures are above normal and there is little to no sea ice on Alaska's northern coasts.

Anchorage considers shortening studded tire season by 2 weeks
By better aligning the tire season with average snowfall, the city hopes to limit road deterioration.

Crews hail start of fall whaling
Nuiqsut's Napageak crew, captained by Thomas Napageak, landed the very first bowhead of the season on Aug. 29. It was a 29.5 foot whale.
Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States
Arctic Sounder

It was the warmest ever Arctic summer
The top of the world saw record-beating average temperatures flashing through all three summer months.
The Independent Barents Observer

Warm August with record-late tropical heat
The monthly temperature for the entire country was 1.7 degrees above normal.
Åndalsnes, Møre og Romsdal, Norway
Meteorologisk institutt

Fight for survival in Norway's Arctic as climate warms
Climate change is making life difficult for the indigenous people - and wildlife - of the Sami region.
Finnmark, Norway
BBC News, Norway

The heatwave accelerates the melting: - An eye opener
Record-breaking temperatures are nothing new for Norwegian glaciers. If temperatures become warmer, more glaciers may disappear.
Stryn, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
NRK

Blackberries, shade gardening, snakes? Imagining a warmer climate for Alaska gardens
Change is coming to Alaska’s plants, animals, insects and microbes, and gardening practices will need to change too.

Vardø may lose its Arctic climate
Spring has become warmer in Norway's easternmost city. Now Vardø may lose its Arctic climate.
Vardø, Finnmark, Norway
NRK Norsk Rikskringkasting

Dramatic and hot days
In recent decades, Norway has seen a clear increase in the number of days that are warmer than normal. Here you can check the development 42 locations in the country.
Tromsø, Troms, Norway
NRK Norsk Rikskringkasting

Oslo summer has been 12 days longer
So far, this year's summer may not give associations to climate change, but for the past 30 years, summer has actually been a full 12 days longer in Oslo.
Oslo, Norway
Meteorologisk institutt

One year of temperature above normal in Norway
The average temperature for the entire country was 1.2 degrees above normal in March. It is thus the twelfth month in a row that the temperature in Norway has been above normal.
Norway
Meteorologisk institutt

100 months of temperature above normal in Svalbard
March becomes the hundredth month in a row with temperatures above normal. "It is unique and shows how fast climate change is happening in the Arctic," says climate scientist Ketil Isaksen at the Meteorological Institute (MET).
Svalbard and Jan Mayen

The Arctic influences weather around the globe
The record early departure of the sea ice offshore Nome (March 12), and ice gone missing from Norton Sound astounded weather experts.
Nome, Alaska, United States
The Nome Nugget

Birds arriving earlier with climate change
The golden plover and other species are moving their arrival time up by an average of half a day per year, and have been doing so for the last 20 years.
Reykjavík, Capital Region, Iceland
RÚV

Grass crops in Eastern Norway halved in 2018
Last year's drought summer resulted in halved grass crops in Eastern Norway compared to the previous year, according to recent figures from Statistics Norway. - The consequences of the drought continue to affect the daily lives of many farmers, says Lars Petter Bartnes, leader of the Norwegian Farmers' Union.
Akershus, Norway
Norges Bondelag

Warmest February since 2006 in Mackenzie Delta communities
While most of Canada has been experiencing a colder winter, Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk have had their warmest February since 2006.
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC

Warmer seas in the north are bad news for the common Eider
Troms, Norway
The Fram Centre

No more shinny? Thousands of lakes are losing their winter ice
If the trend of reduced ice on the world's lakes continues at its current pace, the Canadian tradition of shinny could become a thing of the past, according to new research.
Canada

Greenhouse gas emissions provide extreme warming in Svalbard
Greenhouse gas emissions provide extreme warming on Svalbard.
Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Miljodirektoratet

Yukon gov't gives up on attempt to build ice bridge in Dawson City
An official says time and money was running out. No decisions have been made yet on what to do next winter.
Dawson City, Yukon, Canada

Inuvik infrastructure may not be ready for climate change
The Arctic is expected to get warmer and wetter by the end of this century and new research says that could mean trouble for infrastructure in Inuvik.
Inuvik, Northwest Territories, Canada

Under the surface of Russia’s Arctic super-region is a looming disaster
Underneath the ground is a thick layer of permafrost and trillions of cubic meters of natural gas. Development is the main source of concern for the reindeer herders who increasingly are hindered by new pipelines, roads and railway lines.
Labytnangi, Yamalo-Nenetskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia
The Independent Barents Observer

2018 Was Fourth-Warmest Year In Nome History
2018 was “the fourth-warmest year in Nome’s weather history,” says climate specialist Rick Thoman. In fact, for most places in Western Alaska, 2018 ranked among the top five warmest years on record…
Nome, Alaska, United States
KNOM Radio Mission

The pursuit of climate change
Slik har Norge forandret seg. Sakte, nesten umerkelig.
Sør-Odal, Hedmark, Norway
NRK, Norsk Rikskringkasting

Detah ice road opening later and later
If the ice road between Detah and Yellowknife doesn’t open on Friday, it will break a decades-old record.
Detah, Northwest Territories, Canada

Lilacs (Syringa spp.) Blooming Earlier
Agriculture, a huge industry in upstate New York, will clearly benefit from a longer growing season. However, the increase in intensity and frequency of rainfall will impede farmers. Higher nighttime temperatures could affect flowering
Highland Park, Rochester, New York, United States
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

As climate change bites in America’s midwest, farmers are desperate to ring the alarm
‘The changes have become more radical’: farmers are spending more time and money trying to grow crops in new climates
Langdon, Missouri, United States
the Guardian

Lake Erie algal blooms 'seeded' internally by overwintering cells in lake-bottom sediments
Western Lake Erie's annual summer algal blooms are triggered, at least in part, by cyanobacteria cells that survive the winter in lake-bottom sediments, then emerge in the spring to "seed" the next year's bloom, according to a research team led by University of Michigan scientists.
Western Lake Erie, United States
Phys.org

Alaska’s weird, warm fall: a boon for farmers, but ‘really scary’ for people who depend on Arctic ice
Record-breaking October weather in much of Alaska has meant ice-free Arctic communities and fresh fruit and foliage in Southcentral.

Climate change threatens the kittiwake – extreme weather and altered prey availability reduce recruitment
Bad weather is bad news, also for the red-listed kittiwake. New research reveals that wind conditions combined with the availability of different prey species are determinants of chick production in this seabird.
Myre, Nordland, Norway
SEAPOP, Norwegian institute for nature research

As Greenland Warms, Nature’s Seasonal Clock Is Thrown Off-Kilter
For millennia, ecosystems in Greenland and throughout the Arctic have been regulated by seasonal changes that govern the greening of vegetation and the migration and reproduction of animals. But a rapidly warming climate and disappearing sea ice are upending that finely tuned balance.
Kangerlussuaq, Qeqqata, Greenland
Yale E360

Survived the landslide accident in Svalbard. Now comes the twins' story of living with climate change.
From Longyearbyen to Kiribati, Bangladesh and California. Author Teresa Grøtan has collected young people's everyday life with climate change in the book "Before the Island Sink."
Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Aftenposten

Many parts of Southern California broke heat records for July
Many places across Southern California saw one of the warmest Julys ever recorded in 2018, including downtown Los Angeles and Death Valley
Long Beach, California, United States
latimes.com

Heat causing Hydro bills to soar, some too much so
If you've gotten an unexpectedly large electric bill in the mail, don't worry Manitoba Hydro knows they have a billing issue and are working to correct it.Hydro says the soaring summer heat is causing the issue.
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Winnipeg Sun

Global warming cooks up 'a different world' over 3 decades
Over 30 years the world’s annual temperature has warmed nearly 1 degree according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Salida, Colorado, United States
Lake Cowichan Gazette

Changing environment - Stories above the Arctic Circle
Malmberget, Norrbotten, Sweden
YouTube

Climate change threatens hairy survivor of multiple ice ages
A scientific paper published recently hints at how increasing winter rainfall will affect the Arctic muskox. An N.W.T. biologist says winter rain isn't good for the mammal, but it's actually warmer summers that could prove detrimental.
Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC News

Insurers say Canadian weather getting hotter, wetter and weirder
Average number of days with heavy rain or snow across Canada has been outside norm since spring 2013
Canada
Lake Cowichan Gazette

As ice thaws, rock avalanches on Southeast Alaska mountains are getting bigger
A study of rock avalanches in the western part of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve found that the likelihood of large slides covering about 2 square miles has at least doubled in the last five years.
Lamplugh Glacier, Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

Study: ‘Unprecedented’ rain, warmth for Alaska by end of century
Climate warming is likely to bring more episodes of heavy rain, above-freezing winter thaws and scorching hot summer days in the coming decades, says a study by scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Alaska Dispatch News

'Seemingly unbelievable' temperatures becoming more common in Arctic winters
Warm periods are bringing the temperature up by as much as 30 C in the middle of winter

Crowdsourcing capelin: New website to alert biologists to locations of 'key' fish
Keeping tabs on capelin — from the shores of the Atlantic ocean to the world wide web.
Newfoundland and Labrador

NASA releases time-lapse of the disappearing Arctic polar ice cap
This visualization begins by showing the dynamic beauty of the Arctic sea ice as it responds to winds and ocean currents. Research into the behavior of the Arctic sea ice for the last 30 years has led to a deeper understanding of how this ice survives from year to year. In the animation that follows, age of the sea ice is visible, showing the younger ice in darker shades of blue and the oldest ice in brighter white. This visual representation of the ice age clearly shows how the quantity of older and thicker ice has changed between 1984 and 2016.
YouTube

Toxic mercury levels are actually declining in Alaskan polar bears—but that's not as great as it sounds
A recent study shows that polar bears' mercury levels are declining as melting ice drives them onshore. But is it all good news? Read on.
Popular Science

Shark aggregation in coastal waters of British Columbia
Moresby Trough, Queen Charlotte Sound, British Columbia
Marine Ecology Progress Series
Rob Williams, Thomas A. Okey, S. Scott Wallace, Vincent F. Gallucci

Climate change is making it harder to survey pollock in the Gulf of Alaska
Between 2017 and 2019, pollock surveys in the Gulf of Alaska produced wildly different estimates. A new study shows what climate-driven mismatch in pollock surveys for sustainable fisheries management.
Gulf of Alaska

Climate change threatening Indigenous ways of life
Cecelia Brooks remembers a time when the deep forest of New Brunswick was so cold, snow could still be found in its depths in August. That rarely happens anymore. Brooks, who lives on St. Mary's First Nation in Fredericton, is one of many Indigenous people in the Wabanaki region who say climate change is threatening traditional plants and medicines. Those changes, Brooks says, could alter their way of life.
Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada

Alaska’s weird fire season ain’t over yet
Waking to the smell of a wet ashtray (which, as a Child of the Seventies, I can still remember), I knew the wind had shifted. Wildfire smoke hung in the neighborhood.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

State officials extend studded-tire removal deadline by 15 days
Most of Southcentral Alaska has seen near record-setting snowfall this winter. The state of Alaska extended its annual deadline for residents to swap out their studded winter tires by 15 days due to what they called “prolonged winter weather.”

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