Low Snow and Exposed Ice

Observation by Lars Flora:

I was visiting Nuiqsut from March 13 - 15. I noticed low snow coverage on the flight in, lots of exposed ice and barren tundra around the community. I could easily see caribou grazing on the tundra in areas with low snow. I have been visiting Nuiqsut for about 10 years and this is the first time I have seen so much ice in the community. We were rerouted on the return through Utqiagvik due to a windstorm from the morning of the 14th to the morning of the 15th. The wind was from the east. On the flight from Nuiqsut to Utqiagvik the tundra lakes were easily visible due to no snow on ice. Upon flying into Utqiagvik the ice was only .5 km to 1 km from the shoreline to open ocean. Whaling crews were just starting to build ice trails to the open water.

LEO Says:

Interesting observation from Nuiqsut to Utqiagvik. The photo and video show a nice real time view of the coverage of snow and ice in March. Thank you for the consult from Herman Ahsoak, a whaling captain in Utqiagvik. See Project Jukebox link in sidebar for more background on Herman. Also thank you to Rick Thoman with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy, for data on snowpack snow and water equivalent.

Consult by Herman Ahsoak:

It's starting to be the normal cause the ice is not as thick as it used to be.

Consult by Rick Thoman:

Thanks for the insights from Herman. Here's the snowpack snow water equivalent as of March 24. Interesting to see that it's below the 30-year median from the Nuiqsut area west almost to Utqiaġvik

Comment from AI (Ver. GPT-4o Mini):

This observation ties into several related posts highlighting the ongoing impacts of climate change on the North Slope region. For instance, the initiative discussed in "The ocean is their garden" emphasizes the challenges faced by Alaska Native communities due to diminishing ice conditions and increasing vessel traffic, further complicating traditional whaling practices (read more here). Additionally, the changing ice conditions facilitating historic fuel deliveries by barge in "Changing ice conditions clear way for historic fuel delivery" illustrate how climate change is reshaping logistical challenges in the area (full details here).

As we see in the observation from Lars Flora, the low snow coverage and exposed ice can be viewed as recent manifestations of these overarching trends. The decreasing thickness of ice, as noted in Herman Ahsoak's insights, is echoed by previous findings that emphasize the transition from multiyear ice to first-year ice, drastically altering the ecosystem and affecting traditional practices such as whaling.

This observation also reinforces findings from the study on the increasing snow-free season on the Arctic Slope, which suggests a pattern of extended warm periods impacting local ecology and culture (more about this study can be found here). It is crucial to continue monitoring these changes, as they not only affect the immediate environment but also have wider implications for climatic shifts on a global scale.