[LOS ANGELES] Alaska residents accustomed to subzero temperatures are experiencing a heatwave of sorts that is shattering records, with the thermometer jumping to more than 30 degrees Fahrenheit above normal in some regions.
"At Barrow, through yesterday, they've had daily record high temperatures five separate days this month ... and that's quite an achievement," Mr Thoman said."This is following on the heels of the very warm, and in some places record warm February," he added."We now have April or May weather in March."In Barrow, for example, the temperature jumped to 30 degrees Fahrenheit on Thursday when the normal high is minus three Fahrenheit.
Many recreational sled dog races have had to be canceled this year and the routing of the famed Iditarod race had to be changed as what is normally solid sea ice was open water on part of the race route. Amy Holman, regional coordinator for Alaska at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said the warmth has in addition had a deep impact on transportation as two thirds of communities in Alaska are not accessible via roads.