Climatological Report (Monthly) Issued by NWS
000
CXAK57 PAJK 041936
CLMASI
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK
1124 AM AKDT THU MAY 04 2023
...................................
...THE SITKA CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 2023...
CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD: 1991 TO 2020
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1944 TO 2023
WEATHER OBSERVED NORMAL DEPART LAST YEAR`S
VALUE DATE(S) VALUE FROM VALUE
NORMAL
..............................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
HIGH 76 04/29/1976
LOW 20 04/02/1948
HIGHEST 60 04/20 60 0
LOWEST 31 04/02 29 2
AVG. MAXIMUM 48.3 48.1 0.2
AVG. MINIMUM 37.7 37.2 0.5
MEAN 43.0 42.6 0.4
DAYS MAX >= 90 0 0.0 0.0
DAYS MAX <= 32 0 0.0 0.0
DAYS MIN <= 32 2 4.6 -2.6
DAYS MIN <= 0 0 0.0 0.0
PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
MAXIMUM 11.16 1961
MINIMUM 0.77 1948
TOTALS 4.89 4.31 0.58
DAILY AVG. 0.16 0.14 0.02
DAYS >= .01 26 17.5 8.5
DAYS >= .10 14 10.5 3.5
DAYS >= .50 3 2.8 0.2
DAYS >= 1.00 1 0.5 0.5
GREATEST
24 HR. TOTAL 1.18 4/26 to 4/27
DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL 654 670 -16
SINCE 7/1 5815 6239 -424
COOLING TOTAL 0 0 0
SINCE 1/1 0 0 0
FREEZE DATES
EARLIEST 10/08
LATEST 03/14
..............................................................
WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 8.4
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION 37/170 DATE 04/08
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION 58/180 DATE 04/08
WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM 0 MIXED PRECIP 0
HEAVY RAIN 1 RAIN 10
LIGHT RAIN 29 FREEZING RAIN 0
LT FREEZING RAIN 0 HAIL 0
HEAVY SNOW 0 SNOW 0
LIGHT SNOW 7 SLEET 1
FOG 20 FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE 0
HAZE 11
- INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.
$$
...TEMPERATURES TRENDING BELOW NORMAL WITH PRECIPITATION ABOVE
NORMAL FOR MOST SITES IN APRIL...
Temperatures trended below normal by anywhere from 0.2 degrees to a
full 1.0 degrees across most of Southeast Alaska in April. Skagway
and Sitka, however, did come in above normal between 0.4 and 0.6
degrees. But then, that`s Skagway and they are about as far removed
from a maritime influence as you can get in Southeast Alaska.
Interestingly, Haines followed the trend for the rest of the
Panhandle, recording a fraction of a degree below normal for the
monthly temperature even though that location is generally similar
to Skagway in terms of climate regimes. A departure of 0.4 to 0.6
degrees above or below normal is not too noteworthy, but when the
numbers come in a full 1 degree different from normal, that is
significant and meaningful in the world of climate and climate
statistics. Across Southeast Alaska, the period of April 19th
through the 23rd was the warmest period of the month with daytime
highs above normal and overnight lows at or slightly below normal.
Precipitation trended above normal for most of Southeast Alaska in
the month of April. Exceptions noted include Klawock and Skagway.
April is one of the driest months of the year in Southeast Alaska,
so departures from normal ranging from 61.7% below normal to 35%
above normal are not all that impressive when absolute normal
monthly precipitation ranges from 3.47 to 10.25 inches. Sitka set a
daily rainfall record on April 27th with 1.18 inches, which breaks
the old record of 0.86 inches, which was set back in 1964.
So why the colder than normal and wetter than normal trend? Very
simply, Southeast Alaska wound up on the north side of the jet
stream more often than the south side which generally leads to
cooler temperatures and wetter than normal precipitation.
Chambers/Fritsch
$$