LEO Network

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

Observations

Unusually warm in Northern Norway
You wouldn't think it was early January.
Birtavarre værstasjon
Meterologene, Meterologisk Institutt (The Norwegian Meteroligical Institute)

Potentially longest cold snap in more than a decade for Anchorage
For the last four nights, temperatures dropped below zero in Anchorage, which isn't uncommon this time of year, but turns out, hasn't been very common in recent history.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Dramatic warm-up happening in the Arctic and Nunavut
Temperatures will soar in the North, paticularly in Nunavut, for the next few days thanks to a rapidly retreating polar vortex combined with an influx of warm Pacific air.
Kugaaruk, Nunavut, Canada
CBC

Seven miles of ice stopper loosened and damaged several houses
400 residents lost the road connection and several houses were evacuated when a seven-mile-long ice stopper came loose, carrying large masses of ice and water. Today, the municipality is on inspection to look at the damage.
Beiarn River, Norway
NRK

New heat record again - 19 degrees on Sunndalsøra
A new heat record for January. Sunndalsøra in Nordmøre measured 19 plus degrees in the morning.
Sunndalsøra, Møre og Romsdal, Norway
NRK

Australia bushfires trap thousands on east coast beaches
Residents fled toward the waterside as winds pushed an emergency-level wildfire towards their homes. The town was shrouded in darkness from the smoke before turning an unnerving shade of bright red.
Mallacoota, Victoria, Australia
The Globe and Mail

Holiday cold snap breaks records, may save Northwest Alaska snowmachine races
It’s a dramatic drop from this winter’s balmy start, but this is a normal weather pattern for this time of year.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Minus 65: Interior Alaska sees coldest official temperatures since 2012
An official temperature of minus 65 was recorded 15 miles northeast of Manley Hot Springs, according to the National Weather Service. It is the coldest official temperature in Alaska since
Manley Hot Springs, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Huge sea temperature anomaly has water six degrees above normal
Ocean temperatures as much as 6 degrees higher than usual are developing off the east coast.
South Pacific Ocean
Stuff

Russia’s warm winter has deprived Moscow of snow, caused plants to bloom and roused bears out of hibernation
Residents are lamenting a December without the constant layer of snow that defines Russian winters, when what little light there is typically reflects off the white covering and brightens the days.
Moscow, Moscow, Russia
Washington Post

Where's the snow? Warm weather to keep most of Eaglecrest closed this weekend
Night-time temperatures have been cold enough for snow but the snow quickly melts by morning.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Juneau Empire

K300 Season Opener Delayed Again
Poor trail conditions have pushed the Kuskokwim 300 Season Opener race back another week.
Bethel, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Stay Off Straight Slough; Four Open Holes Near Bethel
Travelers need to stay off Straight Slough, which flows into the main Kuskokwim River near Bethel.
Bethel, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Man who found hiker trapped in Flattop Mountain avalanche said rescue was ‘a miracle’
After being buried, the trapped hiker was able to kick his legs free. A hiker passing by spotted his feet sticking out of the snow.
Anchorage Daily News

Alaska Cod Fishery Closes and Industry Braces for Ripple Effect
Gulf of Alaska cod have been in steep decline due to rising ocean temperatures. Now, for the first time ever, federal fisheries managers are shutting down the lucrative fishery because of low stock.
Gulf of Alaska
NPR

December Heat Record Broken
December heat records were broken or equalled by at least 53 remote weather-monitoring stations and three manned stations in the first days of the month. The cause was a mass of warm air that moved across the country.
Iceland
Iceland Review

Victoria broke its record for driest November in more than 25 years
November is typically the wettest and stormiest month of the year here on Vancouver Island, but not this year. If it seemed drier than usual, you would be right.
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Island

'Funky' weather brings late harvest
It was out of habit that Rachel Kukull carried foraging tools while hiking through Chilkat State Park. The custom paid off when she spotted on the forest floor a flash of gold that made her scream. Chanterelles in November!
Haines, Alaska, United States
Chilkat Valley News

Tofino fish farms reporting mass die-offs due to harmful algae
Blooms are often associated with low dissolved oxygen events and warm ocean water temperatures and weather changes – all of which we are, or have been, experiencing," said Kiemele. Farm owner Cermaq says it has deployed fish protection countermeasures that have already caused conditions to improve.
Herbert Inlet, British Columbia, Canada
CTV News

281 and counting: Well into fall, Hawaii is still setting record highs
From Jan. 1 through Friday, Hawaii has set or tied 281 record high temperatures at official Weather Service stations located at four island airports ― in Honolulu, Hilo, Lihue and Kahului.
Kahului, Hawaii, United States

It’s November, and Southcentral Alaska’s unusually warm fall has some plants putting out spring buds
As much of the Lower 48 braces for frigid weather, Anchorage-area temperatures have run some 13 degrees above normal so far this month.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Utqiagvik whalers still hope to land a bowhead as season wanes
Aerial surveys this September and October show the bowheads aren’t where they usually are.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Satellites track real-time damage of ocean blob menacing Hawaii
A blob menacing Hawaii is now visible from space. A massive heatwave in the Pacific Ocean is killing off coral. Satellites are capturing the destruction so that scientists can learn how to rebuild the reefs.
Hawai'i, United States
The Verge

Unusually Warm Halloween
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

The river is very low and affecting well water quality
Low water on the Noatak River may be the reason behind changes in the water quality in community wells. The water quality began to change in the plant as measured (eventually) by the need for twice as much chlorine and Naclo polymer in order to get an acceptable residual of chlorine. The change indicates that the well recharge had been depleted and the that wells began operating on stored water in the aquifer. This water would have been older, likely anaerobic and higher in organics and in inorganics such as iron and manganese.
Noatak, Alaska, United States
Chris Dankmeyer, John Monville, Paul Walton, David Beveridge, Brian Berube, John Warren

California fires see 200,000 evacuated while 3 million may lose power
For the third year in a row, an enormous wildfire is destroying homes and properties in California, with smaller fires raging elsewhere in the state.
Sonoma Valley, California, USA
New Scientist

Stoop Pumpkins Rotting Before Halloween
This stoop-pumpkin-rotting event is unusual compared with Dr. Johnson's long-term (lifetime) time series of annual October observations of stoop pumpkins in New York City.
New York City, New York, United States
Twitter

Climate change thaws permafrost
Nils Thomas discovered "sinkhole" in the middle of Finnmarksvidda. Scientists have long warned against this, and now it happened.
Vuohcetjávri, Kautokeino
NRK

Permafrost Thaw and Related Flooding
Concern about permafrost thaw and possible impacts to underground water and wastewater lines.
Golovin, Alaska, United States
Racheal Lee, Carol Oliver, David Beveridge, Mike Brubaker, Katie Lund, Bradford Blackstone, Anahma Shannon, John Warren

After summer of record heat, Alaska health officials see spike in scombroid poisoning from fish
Caused by eating fish that has not been properly chilled, symptoms can last up to 48 hours and include severe headaches, palpitations, blurred vision and abdominal cramps.At least seven people fell ill between May and August. Between 2015-2018, there were only five.
Alaska Public Media

Alberta’s bull trout listed as threatened and its ecosystem is in jeopardy
Bull trout, which are technically char, mostly inhabit cold and pristine snow-melt-fed waters. Changes in water quality and temperatures challenge the future for this species in Alberta.
Alberta
thestar.com

Vancouver broke a 103-year-old temperature record today
The last time it was this cold was in 1916, with a low temperature of -0.6°C.”
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Daily Hive

Nepal is reeling from an unprecedented dengue outbreak
As climate change opens new regions to mosquitoes, Nepal suffers an outbreak of the painful viral disease that has sickened more than 9,000 people.
Nepal
Science News

Emaciated grizzly bears in Canada spark greater concerns over depleted salmon population
With hibernation fast approaching, a grizzly bear family is spotted searching for fish near the shores of Canada's Knight Inlet. They're emaciated, and wildlife observers worry might not make it through winter. The heartbreaking images highlight another victim of the climate crisis and the depleted salmon population.
Knight Inlet, British Columbia, Canada
CNN

Warm water, not sea lice, caused massive salmon die-off
Northern Harvest Sea Farms is busy cleaning pens of dead salmon, and the province's head aquaculture vet says higher-than-average water temperatures are to blame.
Fortune Bay, Newfoundland, Canada
CBC

An invasive algae is threatening the Strait of Gibraltar’s fishing grounds
Returning to port with tons of algae in their trammel nets, with hardly any fish, has become a common drama for the men fishing in Spain's Southern coast. The same “catastrophe” is also threatening the marine biodiversity of the area and piling up on beaches.
Spanish Mediterranean coast

Whitehorse fish ladder sees fewest chinook salmon since 1977
The number of chinook salmon that reached the Whitehorse fish ladder this year hit a 40-year low, and it's not clear why. Just 282 chinook passed through the fish ladder this year, compared to 690 last year. "We did see some large pre-spawn mortality die-offs in a tributary of the Yukon River — the Koyukuk in Alaska. This was for summer chum, and not chinook — but we expect that that higher water temperature also affected the chinook migrating through."
Whitehorse Fish Ladder, Yukon, Canada
CBC

Warm Summer Yields Garden Tomatoes
"To grow tomatoes you need eight hours of sunlight each day. Not a problem. But you also need 3-4 months of warm temperatures between 55 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit. That's the problem."
Anchorage, Alaska
Jeff Lowenfels, Richard L Thoman Jr, Mike Brubaker

Ocean temperature hits 78 at Scripps Pier, highest September reading on record
Scripps Oceanography says rapid heating was caused by fair, hot weather
La Jolla, California, United States
San Diego Union-Tribune

Scientists monitoring new marine heat wave off B.C. coast similar to 'the Blob'
A new marine heat wave spreading across a portion of the Pacific Ocean off the coast of British Columbia resembles the infamous "blob" that disrupted marine life five years ago.
Northeast Pacific Ocean

Record late heat in Lapland as dry summer draws to close
August 29th was the latest date ever recorded for an over-25-degree day in Finnish Lapland.
Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Sockeye salmon returns plunge in B.C., as climate change mainly to blame
Federal fisheries experts paint devastating picture of the challenges facing Pacific salmon and point to climate change as the main culprit.
Fraser River, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver Sun

Pacific Pomfret (Brama japonica) Caught in Southeast Alaska
Although native to southern Alaskan waters, Pacific pomfret (*Brama japonica*) are not often caught by salmon fishers.
Cross Sound
Tom Okey, Richard L Thoman Jr, Justin Bate, Jason Gasper

Record heat has Susitna Valley silver salmon in hot - and low - water
Two popular rivers are being closed to fishing because almost no cohos are making it upstream.
Willow, Alaska, United States

Jakolof Creek Fish Die-off
"Jakolof Creek is dry almost all the way up to the switchbacks and continues to recede. The early run of red salmon may have made it to the lake, but that is probably the only run that has."
Head of Jakolof Bay on Jakolof Creek
Brian Berube, Stephen Payton, Glenn Hollowell, Michael Opheim , Ryan Brubaker

Drought increases in SE Alaska while July temps break records
Southeast Alaska has suffered from a drought and warmer-than-normal temperatures for about two years now. The month of July broke more records.
Petersburg, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Why Lightning Strikes in an Arctic Gone Bizarro
Some rather peculiar weather over the weekend struck 300 miles from the North Pole. Here’s why that may be the new normal.
North Pole
WIRED

Spruce Bark Beetle and Wood Boring Insects
"The spruce bark beetle epidemic currently ravaging Southcentral AK's spruce trees is well-known, but I haven't heard mention of other pests occurring in conjunction."
Lazy Mountain, Alaska, United States

Algae Bloom Fouls N.J.’s Largest Lake, Indicating Broader Crisis
Lake Hopatcong, normally buzzing with swimmers and water skiers, is filled with cyanobacteria in quantities never before recorded.
Lake Hopatcong, New Jersey, United States
New York Times

Alaska glacier where boaters were found dead had recently become prone to calving, guide says
It's possible the trio’s canoe was upset by a calving, or shedding, piece of ice. Although all three were wearing life jackets, none was wearing a wetsuit to protect against the frigid water.
Tatitlek, Alaska, United States

How an accelerated warming cycle in Alaska's Bering Sea is creating ecological havoc
Every year since 2015, the Bering Sea has melted out earlier than in every year before 2015. If heat is killing animals, scientists have yet to pin down exactly how it is doing so.
Nome, Alaska, United States
ArcticToday

Chum salmon (Oncohynchus keta) and Northern Pike (Esox lucius) with Red Spots under Scales and Abrasions on Their Bellies
Warm water temperatures may be causing stress and increase the risk of infections and other illness in fish.
Buckland, Alaska, United States

Abnormal heat spurs reindeer to hit the beach
A swimming spot in northern Finland had unlikely visitors seeking solace from soaring temperatures.
Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland
Yle Uutiset

Dead Pre-spawned Pink Salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha)
During the summer of 2019, warm water temperatures lowered the amount of dissolved oxygen in rivers and caused salmon across the state, including Mountain Village, to die before they were able to spawn.
Mountain Village, Alaska, United States

Thirsty elk seek water during heatwave, motorists warned
A total of 140 crashes and other accidents involving elk have been reported in the last week alone, police said, especially in the area around Pyhäjärvi lake near the town of Säkylä in the southwest of Finland.
Säkylä, Satakunta, Finland
Yle Uutiset

All-time temperature records tumble again as heatwave sears Europe
Highs in Germany, Netherlands and Belgium exceeded for second time in 24 hours.
Paris, Île-de-France, France
the Guardian

Netherlands and Belgium record highest ever temperatures
All-time records in Germany and Luxembourg could also fall in latest continent-wide heatwave
Tilburg, North Brabant, Netherlands
the Guardian

Records tumble as Europe swelters in heatwave
Temperatures pass 39C in Belgium and the Netherlands, as a Eurostar train breaks down in the heat.
Eindhoven, North Brabant, Netherlands
BBC News

Salmon Die-off
Salmon are dying along the Andreafsky River and Lower Yukon River before spawning out. Water surface temperatures have been unusually warm, at one point reaching 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
St. Mary's, Alaska, United States
Jennifer Dobson, Jayde Ferguson, Eric Alstrom, Brian Lefferts

A sweaty Saturday: Hottest day of the year in Toronto, Ottawa
The sweltering weather continues Saturday with several parts of Canada under heat warnings and Toronto, Ottawa and Windsor experiencing the hottest day of the year.
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Vegetables are mature earlier than farmers have ever seen; flowers are ready to go
“The growth-cycle this year is unprecedented,” with carrots, peas and broccoli heads “as big as a platter,” farmers market vendors say.
Palmer, Alaska, United States

Unusually Warm Temperatures
Temperatures in July reached 100 degrees Fahrenheit, above the normal high temperature of 72.3 degrees.
Ambler, Alaska, United States

'This is unprecedented': Alert, Nunavut is warmer than Victoria
Weather watchers are focused on the world's most northerly community, which is in the middle of a record-breaking heat wave.
Canadian Forces Base Alert, Nunavut
CBC News

Record Warm Water Likely Gave Kuskokwim Salmon Heart Attacks
As record high temperatures swept Alaska, many people said that the heat was killing them. For Kuskokwim salmon, it was actually true.
Akiak, Alaska, United States
KYUK

Warmer waters believed to be main cause for dead pink salmon in Norton Sound
Norton Sound residents have reported salmon die-offs in unusually large numbers during the last week. According to the Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation (NSEDC), dead pre-spawned pink salmon were found in multiple river systems over the weekend.
Shaktoolik, Alaska, United States

Warm Ocean Temperatures
In July, Norton Sound water surface temperatures reached 68.2 DEG F on 7/10 and 69.3 DEG F on 7/11, which is about 17 degrees above average. The water was warm enough to comfortably swim in.
Nome Alaska
Jason Sebring, Richard L Thoman Jr, Gay Sheffield, Racheal Lee, Anahma Shannon

Heat Wave Hits Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta
People living in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta felt something unusual this past holiday weekend: a heat wave. Temperatures crept close to 90 degrees in many parts of the region.
Chevak, Alaska, United States

Burying Beetle (Genus Nicrophorus) in Southwest Alaska
A burying beetle was seen for the first time by an observer in Tuntutuliak.
Tuntutuliak, Alaska, United States

Temperatures Rise Outside and Inside Buildings
Our operations and maintenance staff do their best to insure all mechanical systems are functioning properly. But several factors limited their ability to respond, including significant smoke from the Swan Lake wildfire.
Anchorage, Alaska
Shelley Griffith, Richard L Thoman Jr, Jared James, Travis Smith, Santina Gay

Rusty Tussock Moth (Orgyia antiqua) Caterpillars in Nome
Unusually high abundance of rusty tussock moth caterpillars in the Nome area.
Nome, Alaska, United States
Elizabeth Graham, Jessie Moan, Robin Mulvey, Tammy Davis, John Lundquist, John Lundquist

General open fire ban in effect for much of Yukon
Due to 'extreme fire danger,' all open fires have been banned across much of Yukon, effective immediately.
Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Extremely Warm Temperatures
It was also during the week where a number of dead fish started to occur along the riverine segment.
Unalakleet, Alaska, United States
Anahma Shannon, John Henry, Richard L Thoman Jr, Gay Sheffield, Austin Ahmasuk

Add krill and mussels to the list of unusual marine deaths in Northwest Alaska
Village wildlife observers worry that the unusual warmth of oceans off Alaska is causing problems throughout the ecosystem.
Shishmaref, Alaska, United States

Alaska salmon stream hits high temperature during heat wave
The science director for Cook Inletkeeper, a nonprofit organization that monitors the health of Cook Inlet, wrote a paper two years ago on what salmon streams might be like in the future with climate change.
Willow, Alaska, United States
The Seattle Times

Alaska’s changing climate
Local residents debated whether a massive release of spruce pollen, which accumulated on every surface—including car bonnets, picnic tables and the nearby Kachemak Bay—amounted to a “golden sheen” or a “yellow scum”. The fine dust turned the surface of the sea the colour of butter and left a bright, lemony line on shore that marked the extent of high tide and gave off a sickly sweet smell. This huge release of pollen might be yet another symptom of a rapidly changing environment.
Homer, Alaska, United States
The Economist

Anchorage hits an official 90 degrees for the first time on record
There’s little relief from the daytime heat in the forecast for the rest of the holiday weekend.

East Anchorage wildfire expected to be out in 2-3 days, fire officials say
The fire had reached 90% containment by Thursday evening, according to the Alaska Division of Forestry.

Trees Devastated by Spruce Bark Beetles (Dendroctonus rufipennis)
"My family and I have been RV camping across Alaska for the last several years. This year, the mass amounts of dead spruce trees have been more apparent than any year prior."
Chase, Alaska, United States
Adrienne Fleek, Desirae Mack, Tricia Wurtz

European heatwave death toll rises as temperatures ease from record highs
A four-day heatwave across western Europe that killed seven people began to ease slightly on Sunday, as temperature alerts were cut back and wildfires slowly brought under control.
Europe
CBC News

Wildfires and power cuts plague Europe as heatwave breaks records
Hundreds of firefighters battled on Saturday to contain wildfires in southern France as a stifling heatwave brought record-breaking temperatures to parts of Europe, killing at least three people in Italy.
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
U.S.

Cape Thompson: Gathering Murre (Uria aalge) Eggs
Murres along Cape Thompson are migrating earlier, allowing coastal community residents to collect eggs a few weeks earlier than normal.
Kivalina, Alaska, United States

European Heat Wave Shatters June Records in 6 Nations and France Set a New All-Time Record
All-time record highs for June have already been topped, but all-time records for any month of the year could be threatened this weekend.
Paris, Île-de-France, France
The Weather Channel

Utqiagvik Smashes June Record High
When temperatures soar this high above the Arctic Circle, it’s an attention-grabber.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
The Weather Channel

Arctic permafrost thawing 70 years early
A new study has found permafrost at outposts in the Canadian Arctic is thawing 70 years earlier than predicted.
Sachs Harbour, Northwest Territories, Canada
CBC News

Melting Arctic sea ice forces sled dogs to slosh through water
A dog-sled team ran into standing water after the onset of warm conditions across the northern territory caused rapid ice melt.
Qaanaaq, Qaasuitsup Kommunia, Greenland

Finland basks in early summer heat, thunderstorms on the way
The northwest coastal city of Oulu was one of several that had over 30-degree Celsius temperatures on Friday.
Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland

Little Ice for Bearded Seal (Erignathus barbatus) Hunting
Because of the increased travel distance, only families with larger boats were able to participate in the hunt and bring back enough to make the trip cost effective. With a heavier load in the boat, one family ran out of gas trying to get home and had to be rescued.
Kivalina, Alaska, United States
Janet Mitchell, Anna Godduhn, Richard L Thoman Jr

Horror 50C heatwave hits 200 million
Temperatures passed 50 degrees Celsius in northern India as an unrelenting heatwave triggered warnings of water shortages and heatstroke.
Chūru, Rajasthan, India
NewsComAu

Facing catastrophic climate change, they still can’t quit Big Oil
The varnished wooden cross stands amid a cluster of grave markers tilted at odd angles in the cemetery, because the ground beneath them is sinking. Rising temperatures are thawing the once-frozen earth, forming pools of water that run through the graveyard.
Nuiqsut, Alaska, United States
Washington Post

Extreme weather sparks large die off of Cedar on Vancouver Island
A growing die off of native Western Red Cedar trees is becoming visible right across East Vancouver Island now. Experts say its a symptom of climate change and as Skye Ryan reports, its changing the forests we've come to know across this region.
East Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
CHEK

Disappearance of Tundra Ponds
Kettle ponds in Denali National Park contain less water this spring than in previous years, due to low snowfall and permafrost thaw. Shrubs are replacing grasses as the lakes dry.
McKinley Park, Alaska, United States
Scott Richardson, Katie Spellman, Richard L Thoman Jr

B.C.'s salal shrubs are dying and extreme weather could be the culprit
One of B.C.'s most abundant plants is in trouble: patches of hardy salal plants are turning up brown, crispy and dying.
coastal British Columbia, Canada

Early Bees and Butterflies
The sun when direct was intense, definitely not April and not May...more like the month of June.
Chistochina, Alaska, United States

Unique in palaeontology: Liquid blood found inside a prehistoric 42,000 year old foal
Permafrost preserved the ‘oldest blood in the world’ boosting hopes of bringing extinct species back to life.
Ese-Khayya, Sakha, Russia
Siberia Times

Nenana Ice Classic tripod falls; earliest date on record
In the earliest breakup since the contest began in 1917, the Nenana Ice Classic Tripod fell early this morning.
Nenana, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

2 adults, child die after crashing through ice
The Arctic Sounder - Serving the Northwest Arctic and the North Slope
Noatak, Alaska, United States
The Arctic Sounder

Pace of Bering Sea changes startle scientists
Frigid north winds blow down from the Arctic Ocean, freeze saltwater and push sea ice south. The ice normally prevents waves from forming and locks onto beaches, walling off villages. But not this year.
Kotlik, Alaska, United States
PBS NewsHour

Record Temps in Goldstream
Warm temperatures are rapidly melting snow and creating ice, which creates difficult conditions for dog mushers. Migratory birds are arriving early, and a mosquito emerged months early. Small owls dead around the Goldstream Valley that looked unusually thin.
Fairbanks, Alaska, United States

2 dead near Bethel when four-wheelers fall through river ice amid warnings to stay off
The tragedy came after several days of dire warnings about the dangers of river travel due to an unusually early warm-up. Search and rescuers crawled onto weak ice, open water all around, to help retrieve the survivors.
Bethel, Alaska, United States

Pussy Willows (genus Salix) Make Early Showing
Warmer than normal temperatures in Anchorage may be causing willows (genus *Salix*) to bud early.

Willows (genus Salix) Budding in March
Willows budding about a month early 30 miles above the Arctic Circle.
Kotzebue, Alaska, United States

A nightmare trip, how drivers handled the mud on the Mackenzie Valley winter road
One of the main winter highways in the Northwest Territories turned into a swamp this week following unseasonably high temperatures.
Mackenzie Valley

Alyeska Resort closes mountain operations amid ‘severe weather’
Avalanche monitors say danger remains high in Turnagain Pass, Girdwood and Portage.
Girdwood, Alaska, United States

Road to NWT’s diamond mines closes in the heat
The winter resupply road between Yellowknife and the Northwest Territories' three working diamond mines has succumbed to this week's warm weather.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
Cabin Radio

Northern Canada: mild temperatures cause winter road closure in Northwest Territories
Deteriorating conditions on the Mackenzie Valley Winter Road have prompted the Northwest Territories government to close the winter highway for the season.
Mackenzie Valley Winter Road
Eye on the Arctic

For first time since records began, NWT hits 20C in March
The NWT broke a symbolic temperature barrier as a heatwave continued. There were warnings over ice roads and spoiled meat, and questions about climate change.
Northwest Territories, Canada
Cabin Radio

Mild spell forces temporary daytime closure of Yellowknife's Snowking castle
Despite daytime closures, evening events expected to happen on schedule this week.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada

Record High Temperature For Yellowknife, Northwest Territories

'Spring heat wave': record temperatures in Canada's central Arctic
In Yellowknife, the territorial capital, temperatures climbed above zero over the weekend, breaking a record high on Sunday with a temperature of 3 C.
Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada
Eye on the Arctic

It was 37 degrees and raining in Shageluk Friday. Iditarod mushers weren’t very happy.
Some mushers worried what the warm weather would mean for the trail ahead.
Shageluk, Alaska, United States

103rd Ice Classic: warm weather, thin ice are hot topics in Nenana
NENANA — Early warm spring weather is adding a lot of excitement to the Nenana Ice Classic this year, resulting in a surge of last-minute ticket sales.
Nenana, Alaska, United States
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Winter storms flood houses in Nunapitchuk and Kotlik
Storms battered the southern Bering Sea and the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta last month. February storms aren’t unusual, but the amount of rain and flooding is. The combination caused a lot of damage for two communities in the region.
Kotlik, Alaska, United States

Arctic Char Population Rapidly Declining
The stock of arctic char in Elliðavatn lake has almost collapsed. Similar developments are taking place in Norway as well. Hilmar Malmquist, head of the freshwater division at the Marine Research Institute, believe that climate change is the main explanation.
Kopavogur, Capital Region, Iceland
RÚV

30 year temperature record broken
Warm temperatures break 30 year record.
Svelgen, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
NRK Sogn- og Fjordane

Snake has woken early from winter hibernation
Snake wakens early from winter sleep. He is a sure spring sign, but is not happy in February. If you see a viper at this time of year, then there may be several snakes in the vicinity.
Berle, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
NRK Sogn- og Fjordane

That ice was 3300 years old. And now it melts
Thousands of years old ice disappears all over Norway. Dag Inge Bakke (42) is among those struggling to save the frozen archive of the past.
Galdhøpiggen, Oppland, Norway
NRK Norsk Rikskringkasting

Temperatures in Northern Finland to soar 40 degrees in one day
There are no records to indicate the last time there was such a radical temperature change in a 24-hour period.
Muonio, Lapland, Finland

Trumpeter Swan (Cygnus buccinator) Entering Breeding Grounds Early
Swans have arrived early in Southeast Alaska this year, with most lakes still frozen and no green grass anywhere. Most lakes are frozen; the swan is sticking to a small patch of water surrounded by ice.
Metlakatla, Alaska, United States

Spring flowers bloom very early
The winter holiday offers 15 degrees (C) of heat and spring flowers.
Lavik, Sogn og Fjordane, Norway
NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Company) Sogn og Fjordane

Weather and wildlife changes
Accra, Greater Accra, Ghana

Support

Observation Template