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000
CXAK57 PAJK 041936
CLMKTN
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE JUNEAU AK
1124 AM AKDT THU MAY 04 2023

...................................

...THE KETCHIKAN  CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL 2023...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD: 1991 TO 2020
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD: 1910 TO 2023

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART   LAST YEAR`S
                VALUE   DATE(S)   VALUE   FROM     VALUE
                                          NORMAL
..............................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH             75   04/28/1976
                       04/29/1976
 LOW              12   04/02/1920
HIGHEST           65   04/29         62       3
LOWEST            28   04/04         28       0
AVG. MAXIMUM    48.7               49.8    -1.1
AVG. MINIMUM    36.3               37.2    -0.9
MEAN            42.5               43.5    -1.0
DAYS MAX >= 90     0                0.0     0.0
DAYS MAX <= 32     0                0.0     0.0
DAYS MIN <= 32     7                6.8     0.2
DAYS MIN <= 0      0                0.0     0.0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM       23.03   2007
 MINIMUM        1.58   1948
TOTALS         13.80              10.25    3.55
DAILY AVG.      0.46               0.34    0.12
DAYS >= .01       24               19.4     4.6
DAYS >= .10       18               14.2     3.8
DAYS >= .50       11                6.2     4.8
DAYS >= 1.00       3                3.3    -0.3
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL   2.95   04/05 TO 04/06


DEGREE DAYS
HEATING TOTAL    669                645      24
 SINCE 7/1      6071               6160     -89
COOLING TOTAL      0                  0       0
 SINCE 1/1         0                  0       0

FREEZE DATES
EARLIEST                        10/31
LATEST                          04/29
..............................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              9.1
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    37/130    DATE  04/09
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    59/130    DATE  04/09


WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               0
HEAVY RAIN                1     RAIN                      10
LIGHT RAIN               28     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          0     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                0     SNOW                       0
LIGHT SNOW                3     SLEET                      0
FOG                      21     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      0
HAZE                      1

-  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
$$