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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

Low Snow and Exposed Ice
There is unusually low snow coverage and exposed ice on the North Slope. The tundra lakes are more visible and sea ice is lower than normal.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States

Alaska's North Slope sees record-breaking heat, among state's other climate oddities
Alaska's North Slope experienced unprecedented heat with temperatures nearing 90 degrees, alongside the state's wettest July and other climate impacts.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Casey Grove, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

For one Utqiaġvik family, spring bowhead whaling marks an important milestone
The article describes a Utqiagvik family's significant milestone in catching the first bowhead whale of the spring season, amidst challenges posed by climate change affecting sea ice stability.
Utqiaġvik, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Kavitha George, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

Avian influenza death of Alaska polar bear is a global first and a sign of the virus' persistence
The highly pathogenic influenza that just claimed its first known polar bear victim continues to circulate in the world’s wild populations.
Alaska Beacon

First fall storm of the year damages road in Utqiagvik
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.
Anchorage Daily News

July was Utqiaġvik’s warmest month in the past century
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.
Anchorage Daily News

Baby walrus, rescued from Arctic tundra, receives 24-hour cuddle care at Alaska SeaLife Center
A wayward walrus calf, just one month old, was rescued from the North Slope. Workers on the North Slope spotted the baby walrus on tundra, about four miles inland from the Beaufort Sea.
Alaska Public Media

After China balloon scare, Air Force shoots down object flying above Alaska’s North Slope
Object shot down by US Air Force, ordered by Biden, over North slope of Alaska.

Utqiagvik reaches record high 40˚F in December
The lack of winter sea ice is keeping temperatures warm. Climatologist Rick Thoman says it's a "very clear climate change signal."
Kavitha George, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

Winds down but high water just starting as ‘exceptionally strong storm’ batters Northwest Alaska
Forecasters say they are expecting significant coastal erosion from Utqiagvik to Unalakleet from the second severe-weather event to hit the region in three weeks.
Anchorage Daily News

Along Utqiaġvik’s eroding coast, hope that a seawall can help keep the community safe
In Utqiaġvik, where the coast is eroding at some of the fastest rates in the nation, storms, flooding and thawing permafrost damage houses, roads and cultural sites. Ice forms later each year and storms are becoming longer and more severe.

Seawall to protect Utqiagvik from extreme storms
A seawall planned for Utqiagvik is aimed at protecting residents from extreme storms while preserving their connection to the ocean.
The Arctic Sounder
Alaska Media, LLC., Steve Keller designer and application developer

Coast Guard responds to tar-like substance spill on Utqiagvik beach
Officials are still examining the substance in a lab to determine what it is, but DEC suspects it’s black tar or asphalt.
KTOO
Wesley Early, Alaska's Energy Desk - Kotzebue

Bowhead whales appear to be on the rebound
The open ocean off Utqiagvik in fall and early winter is evidence of climate change. Remarkably, bowhead whales appear to be thriving, although there are new challenges. Kidney-worm infections have been detected in bowheads, possibly brought by other species of whales coming north. And then there are the killer whales, a natural predators of bowheads now venturing north.
The Arctic Sounder

Resident harvests wayward moose wandering near Utqiagvik
Alaska Department of Fish and Game records show two other unusually wayward moose hunts: One in 2016 taken north of Teshekpuk Lake along the Arctic coast, and another in 2014 on the Kokolik River near Point Lay.
Arctic Sounder

After 100 highs, Utqiagvik marks record low temperature
Arctic Sounder
Alaska Media, LLC., Steve Keller designer and application developer

Utqiagvik just recorded its first record low temperature in 13 years
The United States’ northernmost city plummeted to a bone-chilling minus 20 degrees Wednesday morning, beating out the previous daily record set in 1973.

Utqiagvik celebrates first whale of season in November
It's been a challenging year for whalers in Utqiagvik. Crews started going out in September, but found the bowheads weren't appearing in their usual concentrations in the waters closer to shore. On the water Nov. 16 Panigiuq Crew landed the first whale of the season for Utqiagvik, later than many people can remember ever bringing one in before.
Arctic Sounder

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.

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

In Utqiaġvik, temperatures are warmer, and the ice is changing. What does that mean for whalers?
“I think it was a little more stable, and there was a little bit more assurance that the ice you were on was not going to disintegrate on you that easy,” said whaling captain Gordon Brower.

Warming ocean is devouring Alaska’s coast
A permafrost coastline is receding dramatically along Alaska's North Slope region. It could be an indicator of far more massive land losses across the Arctic.
Drew Point, Alaska
Washington Post

Whaling captain, crew member die in boating accident
The two men, who were both part of an active whaling crew, were in one of the boats on a towline, towing a whale to shore, when their boat flipped, according to fellow whalers who were there when it happened.
Alaska Media, LLC., Steve Keller designer and application developer

Sea Lion (Eumetopias jubatus) Sighting in Utqiaġvik
Unusual Stellar sea lion (*Eumetopias jubatus*) sighting in Utqiaġvik.

As the Arctic warms, a changing landscape on the Chukchi Sea
"These ridges that we’re standing on, there would have been more of them, and they would have been bigger," ice researcher Andy Mahoney said. "The features that we now see, they’re something of a shadow from the past." Listen now
Barrow, Alaska, United States
Ravenna Koenig, Alaska's Energy Desk - Fairbanks

Bowhead whales, dwellers of icy seas, enjoy steady growth off Alaska in the age of climate change
Sea ice has shrunk, but scientists are seeing signs that Alaska's bowhead whales are flourishing.

North Slope whalers bring in a spring bounty
The ice conditions are similar to last year (with) lots of young ice and close leads," said Captain Frederick Brower. "We all went out and broke trail to the edge, but a high west wind came along and added about three-quarters to 1 mile of ice and (we) had to break trail through that and began whaling from the new edge ... . The conditions were not favorable but we made due with what we had and continued on with our whaling season."

Residents drive north on winter snow roads
The roughly 300 miles of hard-packed snow roads were constructed under the Community Winter Access Trails (CWAT) project, headed by the North Slope Borough.

Outlook shows no break in the heat
With the average temperature hovering north of negative this winter, Utqiaġvik and much of the Arctic once again broke records with a season that didn't match up to historic expectations.
The Arctic Sounder

Rural access complicated by warmer winters
Late December and early January starts to the off-road season have become normal as warmer temperatures continue to mark the winter months across most of the Arctic. While industry has had to adapt to changes, many locals are still struggling to find a new normal amidst the shifting seasons.
Utqiagvik, Alaska, United States

Alaska gets federal disaster help after North Slope storm
A September storm caused damage in Utqiagvik, and Gov. Bill Walker declared a disaster there last month.

High temperatures in Utqiaġvik confuse NOAA algorithm
This November in Utqiaġvik was the hottest on record, averaging 17.2°F. It was so warm that NOAA's quality control algorithms flagged the data. “When we look out on the ocean right now we see a few icebergs,” Thomas said. “Normally we would see white to the horizon in the past, and in this case we’re seeing dark water to the horizon.”
Ravenna Koenig, Alaska's Energy Desk - Fairbanks

Walker declares disaster for September storm
The North Slope Borough will have access to help with recovery efforts for the autumn storm that pummeled the coastline earlier this year, causing more than a million dollars worth of damage.

Alaska Gov. Walker declares disaster after costly fall storm on North Slope
The declaration gives the far-north community of Utqiagvik access to state money to help repair damaged infrastructure like roads.
Alaska Dispatch News

Autumn storm that battered Utqiaġvik coastline caused more than $10 million in damage
The storm began Sept. 28 and continued for several days. A handful of Utqiaġvik’s roads were damaged or destroyed, and the community's freshwater source was nearly compromised.
Alaska Dispatch News

Fall storms now regularly batter Alaska’s Arctic coastal villages — but don’t always qualify for disaster funds
Disaster funds are reserved for single events, and storms that collectively cause much damage aren't often individually large enough to count as disasters.
Arctic Now

Autumn storm batters northern coastline
Cleanup and recovery from the recent storm that battered the North Slope coastline may carry a price tag exceeding $10 million.

As Alaska Thaws, Everything Changes
HEALY, ALASKA—Bitter winters still dominate life in the Alaskan interior, but a practiced eye can spot the signs of a warming climate, particularly in the ground. Beneath the rolling fields of tussock scattered just north of the Alaska Range, what was once permanently frozen is starting to thaw. The impacts could ripple across the planet.
Gizmodo

As the North Slope of Alaska warms, greenhouse gases have nowhere to go but up
Thanks to warming winters and thawing permafrost, Arctic soil microbes are churning out carbon dioxide well after the end of the growing season ends. This extra source of atmospheric carbon may accelerate a regional warming trend that is already twice as fast as the global average.
Climate.gov

What tiny particles blowing in North Slope air tell us about oil-field pollution
Air emissions from Prudhoe Bay-area oil fields can have a big influence on the particles in the air in Utqiaġvik, the town formerly known as Barrow.
Utqiagvik, Alaska, United States

Waiting for winter: ice roads mean the North Slope can get to work
Every winter, a massive infrastructure project takes place on the North Slope one thats designed to disappear. Ice roads are built to minimize the oil industrys footprint on the sensitive tundra, and melt away in spring. Many of the oil industrys multi-million dollar projects on the North Slope cant be built until the ice roads are finished each year.

Eroding Arctic coastline reveals human bones
When a storm exposes human remains in Barrow, there isn’t an established protocol. They are usually given to the federally recognized Native Village of Barrow for repatriation.
Eye on the Arctic

Sea Ice Rescue
4-29-14 Sea ice rescue - Barrow, Alaska, USA

Weather Effects Caribou Migration and Season
11-11-13 Weather effects caribou migration and season - Barrow, Alaska, USA

Risky Ice Conditions for Whaling
6-26-13 Risky ice conditions for whaling - Barrow, Alaska, USA
Utqiagvik, Alaska, United States

Unusual Lightning
Residents were amazed to see lightning actually arching down to the ground.
Atqasuk, Alaska, United States

Risky Ice for Whaling
6-5-13 Risky ice for whaling - Barrow, Alaska, USA

Unusual Skate Found on Arctic Beach
9-13-12 Unusual skate on Arctic beach - Barrow, Alaska, USA

Lynx in high Arctic
8-24-12 Lynx in high Arctic - Barrow, Alaska, USA

Fur loss, oozing sores observed in Arctic Alaska polar bears
The Far North's iconic polar bear appears to have joined the list of Arctic species afflicted with a mystery illness that causes hair loss, lesions and oozing sores. Six in Barrow and three in Kaktovik.

Polar bears with skin illness

Mysterious disease killed scores of seals in Alaska
A mysterious disease, possibly a virus, has afflicted ring seals along Alaska's coast, killing scores of them since July, local and federal agencies said on Thursday.
Barrow, Alaska, United States
REUTERS

Sick Ringed Seal (Phoca hispida)

Ringed seal stranding

Seal stranding and mortality

Ringed seal mortality

Polar bear sightings prompt North Slope officials to encourage precautions among residents
Officials are encouraging the public to be safe, report polar bears in the area and never approach the animals, which can be “dangerous and unpredictable.”

Beluga whalers in Northwest Alaska, North Slope boast a great 2021 season
With relatively calm summer weather, an Utqiagvik crew landed at least 11 beluga whales this season, Wainwright was lucky to caught 50, and Kotzebue Sound saw the second-highest harvest in more than a decade, according to local hunters.

Spring bounty: Utqiagvik landed 10 whales in less than two weeks
This early in spring, the season usually only starts, but the weather patterns have been changing, and so has been the harvest time, Donovan said.

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