2014 was the first calendar year that saw no sub-zero temperatures in Anchorage, Alaska. (Photo: Nano Anderson/flickr/cc)
Dec 29, 2014
As 2014 draws to a close, it seems likely to be the first calendar year that recorded no sub-zero temperatures in Anchorage, Alaska, the National Weather Service reported Sunday.
The news of warm weather in a cold town comes shortly after NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration both confirmed that 2014 is set to be the warmest year in recorded human history.
According to NWS, the last time that Anchorage saw temperatures that dropped below zero was December 26, 2013--although the city briefly hit zero degrees exactly on February 11 of this year. The balmy forecast for the next few days means it is safe to say Anchorage will not see any negative temperatures before the year is up, NWS meteorologist Mike Ottenweller told the Alaska Dispatch News.
"With as much certainty as a meteorologist can put behind anything, there is no chance we will go below zero before the end of the year," Ottenweller said.
This is not the first time in recent history that Anchorage has seen long-term warm temperatures, having gone without sub-zero days from January 18, 2000 to November 30, 2001. However, the relatively warm temperatures mean that 2014 is the first calendar year, from January 1 to December 31, that the NWS will likely not record a single sub-zero day in the Alaskan city since the service began tracking temperature in 1952.
In every other calendar year, Anchorage averaged 25 sub-zero days between the cold seasons at the beginning and end of the year.
"It's strange to think about it," Ottenweller told ADN. "Because you're basically spanning two winters."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Nadia Prupis
Nadia Prupis is a former Common Dreams staff writer. She wrote on media policy for Truthout.org and has been published in New America Media and AlterNet. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a BA in English in 2008.
As 2014 draws to a close, it seems likely to be the first calendar year that recorded no sub-zero temperatures in Anchorage, Alaska, the National Weather Service reported Sunday.
The news of warm weather in a cold town comes shortly after NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration both confirmed that 2014 is set to be the warmest year in recorded human history.
According to NWS, the last time that Anchorage saw temperatures that dropped below zero was December 26, 2013--although the city briefly hit zero degrees exactly on February 11 of this year. The balmy forecast for the next few days means it is safe to say Anchorage will not see any negative temperatures before the year is up, NWS meteorologist Mike Ottenweller told the Alaska Dispatch News.
"With as much certainty as a meteorologist can put behind anything, there is no chance we will go below zero before the end of the year," Ottenweller said.
This is not the first time in recent history that Anchorage has seen long-term warm temperatures, having gone without sub-zero days from January 18, 2000 to November 30, 2001. However, the relatively warm temperatures mean that 2014 is the first calendar year, from January 1 to December 31, that the NWS will likely not record a single sub-zero day in the Alaskan city since the service began tracking temperature in 1952.
In every other calendar year, Anchorage averaged 25 sub-zero days between the cold seasons at the beginning and end of the year.
"It's strange to think about it," Ottenweller told ADN. "Because you're basically spanning two winters."
From Your Site Articles
Nadia Prupis
Nadia Prupis is a former Common Dreams staff writer. She wrote on media policy for Truthout.org and has been published in New America Media and AlterNet. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a BA in English in 2008.
As 2014 draws to a close, it seems likely to be the first calendar year that recorded no sub-zero temperatures in Anchorage, Alaska, the National Weather Service reported Sunday.
The news of warm weather in a cold town comes shortly after NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration both confirmed that 2014 is set to be the warmest year in recorded human history.
According to NWS, the last time that Anchorage saw temperatures that dropped below zero was December 26, 2013--although the city briefly hit zero degrees exactly on February 11 of this year. The balmy forecast for the next few days means it is safe to say Anchorage will not see any negative temperatures before the year is up, NWS meteorologist Mike Ottenweller told the Alaska Dispatch News.
"With as much certainty as a meteorologist can put behind anything, there is no chance we will go below zero before the end of the year," Ottenweller said.
This is not the first time in recent history that Anchorage has seen long-term warm temperatures, having gone without sub-zero days from January 18, 2000 to November 30, 2001. However, the relatively warm temperatures mean that 2014 is the first calendar year, from January 1 to December 31, that the NWS will likely not record a single sub-zero day in the Alaskan city since the service began tracking temperature in 1952.
In every other calendar year, Anchorage averaged 25 sub-zero days between the cold seasons at the beginning and end of the year.
"It's strange to think about it," Ottenweller told ADN. "Because you're basically spanning two winters."
From Your Site Articles
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.