Major wildfires in Southcentral Alaska have caused road closures and delays on some of the region’s busiest road corridors, forcing reroutes and long delays for locals, buses filled with tourists and trucks trying to resupply grocery stores.
Weather
In August, Southcentral Alaska has been abnormally dry and hot — prime conditions for wildfires
Usually by August, peak fire season has passed. But fire and climate experts say conditions in Southcentral Alaska were nearly perfect for fire this weekend, from the sky to the dry forest floor.
Update: Golden North Salmon Derby rescheduled over wind safety concerns
The new dates of this year’s Golden North Salmon Derby have been set: Aug. 23-25. An event organizer says the last time bad weather caused a postponement was its first year — in 1947.
Heatwave shuts down dog sled tours early on a glacier near Skagway
The tour company moved 240 dogs and 60,000 pounds of equipment from the Denver Glacier above Skagway to camp on the Mendenhall Glacier near Juneau, where they had to scout new, even higher altitude terrain.
As the Kenai Peninsula dries out, the likelihood for fires increases
The Kenai Peninsula is drying out. And this summer, fires have sprouted up in some unusual places.
Drought increases in Southeast Alaska while July temps break records
Southeast Alaska has suffered from a drought and warmer-than-normal temperatures for about two years now. The month of July broke more records in the region.
Summer heat accelerates Alaska peony harvest
Typically, Alaska peony growers have a window of time when the flowers aren’t being harvested anywhere else in the world. But this summer’s record-breaking heat led to an early and fast harvest, leaving farmers here wondering what the future will bring.
Red flag warning, burn ban issued for Juneau amid high winds
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for Skagway, Gustavus and Juneau until 7 p.m. Thursday. The warning means that severe fire weather conditions are underway.
Storms flood Kotlik as other Western Alaska communities see little damage
Weekend storms battered the coast of Western Alaska. While flooding damaged some villages, others fared better.
Southeast’s top weather forecaster will continue looking to the sky after retirement
Tom Ainsworth of Juneau is retiring after 36 years with the National Weather Service.