Alaska's first-ever Heat Advisory issued as Fairbanks sees temps soar
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – For the first time, the National Weather Service office in Fairbanks, Alaska, has issued a Heat Advisory, marking a significant shift in how Alaskans are alerted to unusually warm conditions.
Until recently, Fairbanks and other Alaskan forecast offices didn't have the ability to issue such advisories, instead relying on Special Weather Statements to alert the public about sudden heat.
That changed on June 2, when adjusted procedures granted Alaskan offices the authority to use the Heat advisory product, aligning them more closely with practices used across the Lower 48.
The criteria for when an alert is issued vary across the Last Frontier, with some areas along the North Slope needing only to reach 75 degrees, while Fairbanks' threshold is a warmer 85 degrees.
The NWS office in Fairbanks anticipates several upcoming days will hit at least 85 degrees, so a Heat Advisory will go into effect for the city's more than 30,000 residents.
How The Weather You're Accustomed To Affects National Weather Service Heat Warnings, Advisories
An observed temperature of 85 degrees is 15-20 degrees above average for mid-June, but it's still well below the all-time record of 96 degrees, set in 1969.
While the temps may seem modest compared to those seen during heat waves in the Lower 48, locals said the alert reflects the region's unique vulnerabilities in coping with unusual warmth.
For example, the Haas Energy Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, estimates that about 7% of households across the state have sufficient air conditioning.
The lack of A/C, combined with actions like closing blinds and curtains to block over 20 hours of sunlight during meteorological summer, can interfere with a building's natural ventilation and cause indoor temperatures to climb to uncomfortable levels.
Additionally, with more than 50 million acres of wilderness protected by various conservation groups, the state offers endless outdoor activities, and many Alaskans spend a large portion of their day outside.
So, when temperatures reach the mid-80s, it can place stress on a population more accustomed to the 60s and 70s this time of year.
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For now, Alaskan NWS offices still won't issue what are known as Heat Watches or Heat Warnings, which are reserved for more extreme heat impacts typically seen in the Lower 48.
Forecasters said cities such as Anchorage and Juneau will rarely meet the criteria for a Heat Advisory, since the cooling influence of the North Pacific Ocean plays a major role in moderating temperatures.
However, Fairbanks is farther inland and well removed from ocean influence, making it more vulnerable to heat waves, dry spells and wildfires, which can also affect air quality.
On average, the city's warmest high temperature reaches about 74 degrees during early July before starting its daily plunge and reaching the lower 60s by the time summer ends.Original article source: Alaska's first-ever Heat Advisory issued as Fairbanks sees temps soar
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The hurricane hit Galveston, Texas, on September 8, 1900, as a Category 4 hurricane. An estimated 6,000 to 12,000 people were killed by the hurricane, according to making it the nation's deadliest storm, even 120 years later. A large section of Galveston was destroyed by the storm. Two of the reasons the hurricane resulted in such a high death toll were the lack of any warning and the high storm surge of 8 to 15 feet. The hurricane destroyed 3,600 homes, Fox 13 News reported. It caused the equivalent of more than $640 million worth of damage in today's dollars. The Miami Hurricane of 1926 crippled Florida for decades. There was little warning of the approaching hurricane, according to the National Weather Service. Citizens of Miami who didn't realize the storm was still ongoing left their homes as the hurricane's eye passed over and skies cleared. However, the eye is the center of the storm, so what followed resulted in more death and destruction. 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The storm caused the largest power blackout in US history and the second-largest in the world, CNN reported. Hurricane Ian pummeled southwest Florida in 2022, with winds at nearly Category 5 speeds. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a press conference in Tallahassee that the storm "could make landfall as a Category 5" with winds 157 mph or higher. Hurricane Ian remained just short of the Category 5 hurricane threshold, making landfall near Cayo Costa, Florida with 150 mph winds and destructive flooding with over a foot of rainfall in one day. An official from Lee County, Florida, told USA Today reporter Kate Cimini that the community "has been, in some respects, decimated" in the wake of the storm. The hurricane caused catastrophic flooding, widespread blackouts, and shut down airports. 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