Forecasters say they are measuring near-record moisture in a storm system expected to bring heavy rain and wind to the region, ramping up Friday night and into Saturday.
The average temperature in July was 48.4 degrees — 6.7 degrees above normal, with 11 hot days in a row. Such extreme warmth can accelerate the greening and permafrost thaw on the North Slope.
The Southwest U.S. is experiencing its first heat wave of the season with temperatures soaring to potentially record-breaking highs over 110°F, posing risks to residents and prompting heat warnings.
The storm brought winds up to 40 mph to communities from Wainwright to Kaktovik, weather officials said. High waves damaged a road in Utqiagvik, affecting around five houses, residents reported.
The current winter can be classified as abnormal and the snowiest in recent decades, the scientific director of the Russian Hydrometeorological Center, Roman Vilfand.
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