Kivalina Floods from Snowmelt

Observation by Alexis Hawley:

Kivalina saw flooding due to massive snow melt

Shared with Jacqualine Schaeffer

Comments from LEO Editors:

This observation has been shared with Maniilaq and the Northwest Arctic Borough.

Rick Thoman, climate scientist at the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy (ACCAP), presented an Alaska Winter 2019-2020 Climate Review and Spring 2020 Outlook during the LEO Network webinar on April 21st, 2020. In his review, he describes higher than normal precipitation for most of the state between October and December. Spring temperatures were also above normal, reaching approximately 40 degrees above average in Kivalina. Unusually warm spring temperatures are rapidly melting snowpack, leading to flooding in communities across the state.