Summer Temperatures in Interior Alaska.

• Main Authors: Haugen,R. K., Lynch,M. J., Roberts,T. C.
• Other Authors: COLD REGIONS RESEARCH AND ENGINEERING LAB HANOVER N H
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1971
• Subjects: Meteorology; *ALASKA; ALTITUDE; MOUNTAINS; TERRAIN; TREES; SWAMPS; YUKON TERRITORY; TABLES(DATA); SUMMER; FAIRBANKS(ALASKA); Fairbanks; Yukon; Alaska
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/AD0733317; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=AD0733317

Annual degree-day summations over bases of 43F and 50F in 15-day periods from May through August are given for the period of record for five interior Alaska climatic stations. Average temperature and precipitation data are included. Patterns of summer temperature in interior Alaska are analyzed in terms of historical, elevational and areal differences. Since 1900, summer temperatures show little long-term change but significant short-term changes. In contrast, winter temperatures show considerable fluctuations, which are reflected in mean annual temperatures to a much greater degree than are summer temperature fluctuations. Average summer lapse rates for the 1600 to 3300 and 3300 to 6600-ft levels were 3.4 and 3.7/1000 ft, respectively, based on timberline temperature observations and on upper air data from Fairbanks. Correlation analysis of daily and monthly average July temperatures indicates areas of uniformity with respect to temperature variation. This provides information on lowland climatic stations that are representative of highland locations, especially the Yukon-Tanana Uplands. (Author)