Growing Season Length and Climatic Variation in Alaska

• Main Author: Sharratt, B. S.
• Other Authors: ALASKA UNIV FAIRBANKS
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1992
• Subjects: Geography; Agronomy; Horticulture and Aquiculture; Meteorology; *ALASKA; *LENGTH; *PLANT GROWTH; *CLIMATE; AIR; ARCTIC REGIONS; HEMISPHERES; NORTHERN HEMISPHERE; RECORDS; REGIONS; SEASONS; TEMPERATURE; UNITED STATES; SYMPOSIA; Component Reports; Growing seasons; Freeze dates; Arctic; Fairbanks; Alaska
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADP007326; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADP007326

The growing season has lengthened in the contiguous United States since 1900, coinciding with increasing northern hemispheric air temperatures. Information on growing season trends is needed in arctic regions where projected increases in air temperature are to be more pronounced. The lengths of the growing season at four locations in Alaska were evaluated for characteristic trends between 1917 and 1988. Freeze dates were determined using minimum temperature criteria of O deg and -3 deg C. A shortening of the season was found at Sitka and lengthening of the season at Talkeetna. The growing season shortened at Juneau and Sitka during the period 1940 to 1970, which corresponded with declining northern hemisphere temperature. Change in the growing season length was apparent in the Alaska temperature record, but the regional tendency for shorter or longer season needs further evaluation. This article is from 'Proceedings of the International Conference on the Role of the Polar Regions in Global Change Held in Fairbanks, Alaska on 11-15 June 990. Volume 2', AD-A253 028, p465-467. See also Volume 1, AD-A253 027.