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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

‘Rare September thunderstorm’ brews after fall’s first big windstorm hits Southcentral
Lightning strikes seen Monday in Cook Inlet and on the Kenai Peninsula were heading toward South Anchorage, a meteorologist said.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Unusual September weather pattern brings sunshine to Southcentral Alaska
“We typically don’t see this type of pattern in September,” an Anchorage meteorologist said. Anchorage's record high temperature was broken on both Friday and Saturday.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

A summer without insect stings
Fewer wasp and mosquito interactions in Anchorage in 2018 than typical.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Just before Independence Day holiday, Anchorage beats heat record
Anchorage hit 80 degrees Tuesday night, beating a record set in 1979, according to the National Weather Service.
Anchorage Daily News

All king salmon fishing on the Kenai River closed starting Wednesday
Weak returns forced the latest restriction. Good news: Sockeye fishing at the Russian River is forecast to be good.
Kenai, Alaska, United States

Voracious spruce bark beetles are back in force in Southcentral Alaska
Dead, red trees signal an increasingly dire outbreak driven by warm summers and plentiful spruce, especially in the Susitna Valley.
Trapper Creek, Alaska, United States

‘Wall of ice’ from Susitna River damages railroad tracks
A 7-foot "wall of ice" from a Susitna River ice jam slammed into Alaska Railroad tracks north of Talkeetna on Saturday, pushing the rails 25 feet off course, the railroad said Monday.The Alaska Railroad is racing to make repairs in time for the start of its tourist season on Wednesday.
Talkeetna, Alaska, United States

Windstorm slams Southcentral Alaska with gusts over 80 mph
One reading on the Hillside clocked winds reaching 91 miles per hour. The day saw reports of property damage, road closures and downed power lines.LEO Note: According to Rick Thoman of NWS, these are unusually high winds for April.

Flock of European Starlings (*Sturnus vulgaris*) Sighted on ANTHC Campus
A flock of European Starlings sighted at a mid-town Anchorage building.

Seward Highway reopened after landslide
Temperatures in the area were unseasonably high last week, reaching into the mid-40s, according to the National Weather Service. Then temperatures dropped below freezing Sunday and into Monday morning. "There's a lot of water flowing underground in this area," McCarthy said. The freeze-thaw "caused some instability and that made it slide."

High winds, record-breaking warmth
Anchorage sidewalks were slick with ice and the roads were full of puddles because of unseasonably high temperatures.By mid morning the temperature had reached 46 degrees.

Two moose calves die after likely eating poisonous ornamental plants
Two moose calves found dead outside separate Anchorage homes on Friday are believed to have died from eating poisonous ornamental plants.
KTUU

Ice jam causes flooding in Peters Creek area
A National Weather Service employee spotted an ice jam that's causing some minor flooding northwest of the Starner Street bridge, along Peters Creek.
Eagle River, Alaska, United States
KTUU

Nearly 4 times more bears were shot dead this year in Anchorage than in 2016
Half the bears were killed by people who said they were defending their lives or property. The other half were killed by police, park rangers or wildlife biologists.
Alaska Dispatch News

Dense Fog in Anchorage
This is the second longest period of visibility remaining this low at the Anchorage Airport.

What has happened to our Chugach Dall sheep?
Is climate change reducing the quantity and quality of Alaska's Dall sheep habitat? That's the hypothesis being tested by two researchers.
Nelchina Glacier, Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

Our mysteriously shrinking Kenai king salmon
Since Les Anderson landed a 97-pound Kenai king in 1985, the prized fish has been harder to find and smaller. Is there something we all can do to help reverse the trend?
Kenai, Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

Eklutna Glacier, a source of Anchorage drinking water, is disappearing drip by drip
A new study quantifies the rate at which Eklutna Glacier is losing its icy mass. Between 1957 and 2010, the loss of glacier mass averaged 5 percent a year.
Eagle River, Alaska, United States

Ski Jumpers Finally Compete
It has been three years since the Anchorage ski jumping club has been able to hold our New Year competition.

Invasive plant discovered near Anchorage’s Potter Marsh
Elodea, a fast-growing leafy plant, is now in a roadside ditch at the marsh, and a response plan is in the works.

A Changing Urban Forest
Since the 2012 wind storm, the forest in Cheney Lake Park has been rapidly transforming from native cottonwoods to a variety of exotic ornamental trees.

Black Slugs Invade Whittier
“They’ve been in Cordova for over 30 years. They’re just starting to be reported and sighted in other places. We have confirmed sightings in Whittier, in Girdwood, in Chenega Bay, in Eshamy Bay and one of the hatcheries out in the sound has reported them.”
Whittier, Alaska, United States
Glacier City Gazette

Alaska abuzz over rise in wasp population
In Southcentral Alaska, wasps seem to be everywhere. One Anchorage clinic has seen more than 250 sting patients this year.

Widespread power outages reported as storm moves through Southcentral Alaska
Hundreds of Chugach Electric customers in Anchorage and Girdwood remained without power Wednesday morning amid outages from Fairbanks to Nikiski.

Are Ocean Conditions Right for *Vibrio parahaemolyticus*?
Resident becomes sick after consuming oysters and wonders what is being done to prevent future outbreaks of *V parahaemolyticus*, this new climate related illness in Alaska.

Spruce Tree (*Picea glauca*) Tips Reflect Long Growing Season
This is the second year we have noticed that the spruce tips are very long, in fact longer than I have ever seen.

Diseased Fireweed (*Chamerion angustifolium*)
Disease thought to be caused by mold or an infestation of aphids observed on Bird Ridge along the Seward Highway.
Indian, Alaska, United States

Matanuska River erosion prompts warning to Butte residents
Portions of the Matanuska River’s banks near Butte were “beginning to show signs of breeching” Sunday night, leading Mat-Su Borough officials to ask that area residents prepare for potential evacuations.
Butte, Alaska, United States

Rain helps effort to contain McHugh Creek fire
Wet weather has brought much-needed relief to the ongoing effort to control the McHugh Creek fire in southeast Anchorage. Listen now
Alaska Public Media

2 Your Health: What to do if you get Swimmer's Itch
When temperatures are warm enough, it's a time many Alaskans take their families out swimming. Sometimes the fun comes along with an annoying rash known as 'Swimmer's Itch.'
KTUU

Lots of Spruce (*Picea glauca*) Pollen and Early
Windows have been open during the record heat and the interior of the house is also full of pollen, a thin layer can be seen on the floor near windows. Everyone, even people like myself who rarely experience allergies, are feeling the effects, burning eyes, runny nose, and cough.

Alaska birch pollen is getting so bad, even those without allergies might suffer
Spiking levels of birch pollen around much of the state are also being seen during an early spring in Anchorage this week, as doctors deal with an influx of allergy and asthma patients.

Lack of ice allows dredging to start early
Previously, the dredging started around May and ran through October, but the past three winters it has started earlier and run longer.

March Rainbow
Have you ever heard of such a thing? In Anchorage?

March Pollen and Active Honey Bees (*Apis*)
Warm temperatures drive emergence of early willow buds, pollen and honey bee activity.

Living in Ice Land
Winter transformed from time of snow to time of ice.

Lack of snow shortens Iditarod start
Persistent warm temperatures the last few weeks have melted much of the snow, including stockpiles the city tried to set aside.
Alaska Public Media

Observing Eklutna Lake Water Level
The level of Eklutna Lake seems to be very low this winter. Over the long term, decline of the Eklutna Glacier is a concern for water and energy supply.
Eklutna Lake, Alaska, United States

Common murre (*Uria aalge*) in Anchorage
Murres have had a tough year due likely to the Blob effect of warm water and (potentially) displacement of food resources. Many murres have been reported that are sick or starving.

Warm Storms Bring Winter Melt
At lower elevations, there has been melting, hurricane force winds and rain, which have stripped away the snow and left the trails bare, wet, and icy.

Low Beaver (*Castor canadensis*) Activity
Beaver activity declining in Campbell Lake area

Summer of Slime (Freshwater Algae)
Low water, warm temperatures and our seasonal waterfowl population are factors we think are contributing to the unprecedented algae and weed growth in the lake at the the Alaska Native Health Campus.

Extreme rain
About 30 people were evacuated from an Anchorage apartment building following flash flooding that stranded cars and shut down some Anchorage streets Saturday night.
Anchorage Alaska

Invasive weed makes its way into world's largest floatplane base
Elodea, an aggressive invasive plant, was discovered this month in the lake used by hundreds of floatplanes, raising fears that it will be spread to multiple sites within flying reach.

Wildfire smoke Alert
Air Quality will vary between Good and Unhealthy depending on wind flow and proximity to the fire.-Southcentral areas near–Willow, Wasilla, Palmer, Butte, Anchorage, and south over the Kenai Peninsula to include Cooper Landing, Kenai Keys and Skilak Lake areas.

Drought
6/17/15 Drought - Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Smokey Air
Smokey air as a result of wildfires to the north and south of Anchorage.

Low Lake Water
Low lake water on ANTHC campus (Algae)

Moose (*Alces alces*) with Hair Loss
A moose was seen with some of its fur missing.

Black bear family roaming Anchorage neighborhood
A family of five black bears is roaming an Alaska neighborhood, toppling trash cans as the group rummages for food and scaring some residents who believe the animals are the same ones seen in the area last summer.
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner

Early Pussy Willows
Early pussy willows - Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Tourist Killed by Ice fall, Knik Glacier Alaska
The victim, identified as 28-year-old Alexander Hellweger, was part of a group of eight friends from Italy and Belgium vacationing in Alaska.

DOT says weather likely caused rockslide that closed Seward Highway
DOT spokesperson Shannon McCarthy said the weather this week -- alternately freezing and thawing -- was likely the culprit.
Seward Highway  Alaska, USA

Anchorage Sets New Temperature Record
The city of Anchorage can claim a new record. The city did not see a temperature drop below zero for the entire year of 2014. The last time Anchorage residents saw a below zero reading was December 26, 2013.
Alaska Public Media

Never below 0 in 2014
Anchorage Alaska.

Light on snow, high on risk, Turnagain Pass stays closed to snowmachiners
More than two weeks after the area typically opens for snowmachiners, the pass remained closed Tuesday as lower elevations continued to see below-average snow levels.
Turnagain Pass, Alaska, United States

Abundant Bees
08-17-14 Abundant bees - Eagle River, Alaska, USA
Eagle River, Alaska, United States

Warm spring results in high gas prices

Low Lake Water
Dry conditions in Southcentral Alaska have resulted in low lake levels including here on the ANTHC campus

Pollen Makes for Poor Air Quality
5-19-14 Poor air quality - Anchorage Alaska, USA

Hot, dry weather brings wildfires near Palmer
Unseasonably warm, dry weather in a large section of the state set the stage for a roughly 20-acre wildfire near Palmer and kept authorities across Southcentral and Interior Alaska busy putting out backyard fires despite ongoing warnings against open burning.
Palmer, Alaska, United States

Bed bugs are calling Alaska home at increasing rates
In Anchorage, the city logged 68 bed bug complaints in 2013, a decrease from the 84 in 2012. There was just one complaint in 2007 and 2008 combined, according to city data.

Dust, lack of snow conspire for poor air
Increasing winds may drive the air quality to become "unhealthy to hazardous," said a statement from Eileen Probasco, planning director with the Matanuska-Sustina Borough.

Mt. Alyeska closes due to unseasonable weather
Alyeska Ski Resort in Girdwood will not open for skiers and snowboarders Tuesday because of unseasonably warm temperatures and severe weather, according to a post on the resort's Facebook page.
Girdwood, Alaska, United States

High winds, rain, flooding in Anchorage
A band of wet, warm weather barreled into Southcentral Alaska on Friday and stirred up an odd blend of high winds, slushy roads and even rainbow sightings.

Unusual winter flooding of Anchorage homes
Chester Creek overflowed its banks Tuesday, sending cold water into the basements and crawl spaces of a handful of homes near Valley of the Moon Park.

Alaska farmers scramble for hay
A one-two punch of mid-May snow followed by a six-week drought cut the supply of Alaska-grown hay from Homer to Fairbanks by a third to a half, state Division of Agriculture officials say.
Palmer, Alaska, United States

Warm and Wet Halloween
Anchorage is having the warmest October on record with an average temperature of 43 degrees. That will beat the record set in 1936 and residents are remarking on the novelty of having green grass and rain on Halloween.

106 mph winds knock out power in Anchorage
A windstorm pounded parts of Southcentral Alaska early Monday, knocking down trees and cutting off power for thousands of people from the Matanuska Valley to the Kenai Peninsula.

Anchorage ties record for most consecutive rainy days
Rain overnight in Anchorage pushed the number of consecutive rainy days in the city to 18 -- tying a record set in September 1919, the National Weather Service reports.

Great Year for Mushrooms
This has been a great year for the mushrooms

Alaska heat wave: Anchorage sets record for most consecutive 70-degree days
On Monday, Anchorage reached the 70-degree threshold for a record 14th straight day, breaking 2004's record of 13.
Washington Post

Ice dam break suspected as cause of Rabbit Creek flooding
Rabbit Creek jumped its banks Friday morning on the Anchorage Hillside, washing over a bridge and prompting police to knock on doors asking people inside to evacuate.

High pollen levels
High spruce pollen levels causing eye, respiratory irrigation and nose bleeds.

Heatwave has toddlers falling from windows
The Anchorage Police Department is warning parents to be cautious after three separate incidents in a week involving toddler-aged children falling out of windows opened in the warm weather.

Longest Snow Season Ever
There were 231 days between the first and last measurable snow fall in the Anchorage region this year. Temperatures have also been significantly below average.

Late Winter Storm
We are having an unseasonable snow storm in southcentral Alaska.

Creeks Choked by Ice
There is a lot of overflow and flooding happening in Anchorage area streams, as a result of the recent record rain fall.

Avalanche closes road
The avalanche north of Girdwood affected three lanes of traffic for several hours. Delays are expected Tuesday morning as crews attempt to thwart additional slides.
Girdwood, Alaska, United States

Drivers battle wet, icy roads and floods
Much of the state became one heck of an ice rink over the weekend, with temperatures spiking into the 40s in much of Southcentral Alaska and thawing reported as far north as Fairbanks.
Alaska Dispatch

Windy winter good for wind generation
Fire Island is producing more than expected for this time of year according to Ethan Schutt, senior vice president of land and development for Cook Inlet Region, Inc. (CIRI) the Alaska Native corporation that operates the wind farm. So far about 17,000 megawatt hours have been produced, enough to power roughly 6,500 Southcentral homes each month.
Alaska Dispatch

Anchorage Snow Totals Well Below Average
November is usually the second snowiest month in Anchorage, but this year, snow totals are well below average. So far, only about three inches of snow has fallen in the city. November usually sees an average of seven inches by now, with a total of a little more than 13 inches for the month. National Weather Service Meteorologist Dave Snider says total snowfall for the season is also well below normal.

2nd Major Wind Storm Hits Anchorage
A second major wind storm in less than two weeks swept through Alaska's largest city on Sunday, but unlike the earlier storm, its greatest intensity was mostly on higher elevations where gusts as high as 120 mph were reported, weather forecasters said.
The Weather Channel

Windfall Tree Devastation
The winds came east out of the Chugach Mountains and caused damage to forest, unlike anything we have seen in over 50 years. It is going to be expensive and time consuming to clear the windfall.

Great Gardening
7-19-12 Great gardening - Anchorage, Alaska, USA

Falling ice traps driver, closes highway
A woman was trapped in a pickup on the Seward Highway on Friday after falling ice crushed the vehicle just south of Anchorage.

Unusually large ice formation next to highway
The ice formation along the Seward Highway grabbed my interest because it stood out and was rather unusual.
LEO Network

Caterpillars gang up on berry bushes, native trees
The outlook for blueberries in Southcentral Alaska this year is bleak, scientists say. The reason: Two species of moth have damaged berry patches, as well as native deciduous trees, from the southern Kenai Peninsula to Mat-Su.

Crayfish - Invaders from the Bayou
Of all of the aquatic animals that could be collected in a gillnet on the Kenai River, crawfish are some of the least likely. Why? Because they do not naturally occur in the Kenai River or any other river in Alaska. Unfortunately, crawfish have been collected from the lower Kenai River twice in the last four years, and both times they were leftovers from someone’s dinner.
Kenai, Alaska, United States
Alaska Fish and Wildlife News

Startling starling numbers appear in bird count
Local birders who participated in the recent 2005 Anchorage Christmas Bird Count noted a sharp increase in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), a sometimes aggressive species that's relatively new to Alaska.

Oh, rats! Rodent sighting means Anchorage has infestations, too
Anchorage can no longer claim to be the largest port city in the Northern Hemisphere without known rat infestations. State biologist Rick Sinnott caught and kille dtwo Norway rats found living at a pond near a South Anchorage school. Professional exterminatiors hired by the city placed more traps at the scene Monday afternoon.
Associated Press

Northern Extension of Crow Habitat/Range
Northwest crow (*Corvus caurinus*) pair nesting in Anchorage, possibly north of range.
Kenai Peninsula and Anchorage, Southcentral Alaska

Driver badly hurt when falling rock hits car on Seward Highway
Authorities warned that drivers should use caution in the area due to the potential for additional rockslides.

Strong winds may have been a factor in avalanche that killed skier in Kenai Mountains, report says
Jeffrey Cheng, 33, died in the slide. One of his friends managed to hold on to a tree as waves of avalanche debris washed over his head. The third member of their group wasn’t caught.
Moose Pass, Alaska, United States

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

Erosion in Cook Inlet Damaging Old Growth Trees
Both sides of Cook Inlet are eroding near Tyonek. The erosion is reaching old and new growth trees, and causing more debris to fall in to the Inlet, which easily get caught in set nets.
Tyonek, Alaska, United States

April Snowfall Road Carnage
Seasonal swings set drivers up for bad trip.

A humpback whale died in Turnagain Arm. Here’s what might have happened.
It’s rare to see humpbacks in Turnagain Arm, known for its swift tides and shallow waters.

Southcentral Alaska’s spruce bark beetle infestation is spreading in Anchorage. There’s only one defense.
The worst-hit areas appear to be established neighborhoods with older spruce trees, especially in Turnagain and Spenard.

Second whale found dead in Turnagain Arm within 2 weeks
A second whale has been found dead floating in the middle of Turnagain Arm, just two weeks after a juvenile humpback whale was found dead on the Arm after stranding itself twice.
Turnagain Arm, Alaska, United States
Anchorage KTUU News

Rare thunderstorm in Anchorage causes first lightning-related power outages in years
Lightning is unusual in a city that, according to the National Weather Service, sees fewer than two thunderstorms a year. It was the first time the power company had seen a lightning-related power outage in 15 years.

‘Pretty unnerving’: Eroding cliff creeps closer to popular trail at Point Woronzof
City park staff have set up barriers in hopes of encouraging passersby to stay far away. Potential fixes could include putting up a wall and relocating the bike path or road.
Susitna, Alaska, United States

May Day Trees (*Prunus padus*) Take Hold at Cheney Lake
The forest on the East side of Cheney Lake is changing and the biggest change is the proliferation of May Day trees.

Beached Grey Whale (*Eschrichtius robustus*) near Turnagain Arm
Grey whale (*Eschrichtius robustus*) found beached near the Placer River along Turnagain Arm is one of five grey whales reported dead along the Alaska coast during 2019.
Placer Creek, Alaska, United States

Anchorage has seen more thunderstorms than usual this year, and the season has only just begun
Records show there were 18 years without any days of thunderstorms in Anchorage. The average is about 1.4 days of thunderstorms a year. This year there have already been four, and more over the Chugach.

Smoke from Kenai Peninsula wildfire likely to blow into Anchorage through this weekend
“Smoke concentrations will be such that they could impact public health at times, according to an advisory issued by the state Division of Air Quality.
Kalifornsky, Alaska, United States

Invasive elodea prompts closure of Susitna Valley lakes
Elodea was discovered in Alexander Lake in 2014 by researchers checking minnow traps. At the time, it covered 20 percent of the lake but now has spread to 90 percent.
Willow, Alaska, United States
Alaska Journal of Commerce

Smoke from Alaska wildfire threatens Anchorage's air quality
Smoke from wildfires in Alaska could cause very unhealthy air quality conditions and low visibility over the weekend in Anchorage, the state's largest city, officials said.
U.S.

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.

Anchorage fire officials respond to 25 fires in a day; implore public to heed burn ban
The city is so parched and hot that even a cigarette tossed into a pile of fluffy cottonwood fiber could ignite a fire.

Second Tick I Have Pulled off My Dog This Summer
"He could have picked it up in the backyard or on an earlier walk to the park."
Anchorage, Alaska

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

Lake Is Full of Algae This Summer
"I am worried that unless we do something, the algae will kill the lake, or at least our enjoyment of it."

River Otters (*Lutra canadensis*) on Bike Trail
River otters observed within Anchorage city limits.

'Way too close’: Kayakers encounter calving glacier in Southcentral Alaska
“It was a beautiful event that we were lucky to have survived,” Andrew Hooper said.
Spencer Glacier

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

River otters attack, injure family dog in Anchorage park
The dog’s owner waded waist-deep into Taku Lake and was bitten on his hand while pulling the husky-mix away from the river otters,.

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.

Anchorage breaks snow record for New Year’s Day following the warmest Dec. 31 on record
The snowfall came after Anchorage broke the daily record for warmest Dec. 31, with temperatures at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport measuring 46 degrees.

After avalanche scare, Anchorage’s Kincaid Park sand dunes off-limits to Junior Nordic skiers
No one was hurt when a slab avalanche buried one child and partially buried two others.

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