Alaska, Where Only 2% of Homes Have AC, Just Issued Its First Heat Advisory Ever

Alaska has just crossed a first list of its list of buckets with the very first heat notice for Sunday, June 15. The temperatures of the center of Alaska should reach 86 degrees Fahrenheit (it’s 30 Celsius) during the weekend and the week of June 16.

It’s not like Alaska is never hot in summer. However, while Jason Laney, a warning meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fairbanks, Alaska, told CNET: “The frequency with which heat is starting to be a little worrying.”

This heat advisor seems large enough, especially for an area where most people do not have air conditioners. But there is a significant warning to keep in mind.

Although it is the first thermal opinion for Alaska issued by the National Weather Service, this is not the first time that Alaska has experienced high temperatures. It’s just the first time heat notice were an option for the offices of Fairbanks and the capital of Alaska, Juneau. Before a change that came into force on June 2, the National Weather Service announced heat risks thanks to special weather declarations. According to a statementThis change will allow the offices of Fairbanks and Juneau to communicate heat information more effectively. Anchorage, the largest city in Alaska, has chosen to go out for the moment.

Residents of Fairbanks and surrounding areas must prepare for these temperatures because it is a significant leap in heat, about 15 degrees above the average of the area.

How will it be hot?

The average Fairbanks temperature, in the center of Alaska, was in the 1970s through most of the summer. Forecasts for the next few days predict the temperatures from the middle of the 80s to high. While some parts of the United States may not worry about the mid-1980s (stop laughing, Arizona), Alaska is different. Many places have no air conditioners, and many buildings are designed to trap the heat to spend cold winters. This means that serious risks related to heat are associated with these temperatures, even inside

The criteria for a thermal opinion in Alaska vary between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the location. The Fairbanks limit is 85 degrees and the forecasts exceeds this limit.

This number was chosen intentionally. Laney and the National Weather Service team worked with the state climatologist in Alaska to examine the last 10 to 20 years of temperatures, noting how frequency of temperatures increased. Laney told me that it was important that the temperature of the criteria was not filled three times a year.

“We wanted him to come out when it meant something,” said Laney.

Although the criteria are final, Laney said he had the potential to change.

“If we end up emitting too much of these things this year, then we know that we set our too low criteria,” he said.

A flood was also published on June 12 to warn people in the flooding river of the rapid snow.

Despite the heat advice, these are not the highest temperatures in Alaska. In June 1969, the Fairbanks record was 96 degrees. Temperatures in Fairbanks generally reach the mid -80s two to three times a year, although depending on the number of temperature days in the 80s, it could be one of the longest hot sequences ever recorded for the region. The longest consecutive sequence for the region was in 1991 with 14 days.

Alaska weather transactions in extremes

Alaska is an extreme area. Winter is six months of snow on the ground with sub -referral temperatures, but spring strikes just as hard – and quickly. According to Laney, it only takes four to six weeks to melt about three feet of snow. The trees become green in 48 to 72 hours.

“The problem is that the body takes a while to acclimatize to that,” said Laney. “Because the swing is so fast, most people spending a winter in Alaska are not yet used to heat.”

Another thing to remember is that official temperatures are reported in the shade, not in the sun. This brings us to a unique quantity of Alaska: the sun lasts 20 to 21 hours a day at this time of the year. Only about 2% of houses have AC, Laney told me, and many have larger windows that let in as much sun as possible in winter. This can turn against the summer when they let this sun enter and the walls six to eight inches thick which accommodate an additional insulation trap in the heat.

Alaska warms faster than other places

THE The climate heats up Due to the emissions of fossil fuels and extreme heat becomes more and more common. THE World meteorological organization Predicted that global heat will only worsen over the next five years. About 80% chance that over the next five years, we will exceed 2024, the hottest year never recorded.

The effects of climate change are felt everywhere. Alaska, however, heats up Two to three times faster that the rest of the globe, causing a decangle of permafrost, narrowing glaciers and transformations in the ecosystems of Alaska.

The state Average air temperature has increased by 3 degrees in the past 60 years, and winter temperatures have increased by 6 degrees. If global emissions continue at the current rate, annual precipitation should also increase by 15% to 30%.

It is difficult to quantify the impacts of Alaska rapid warming, because they affect everything, from people to biodiversity roads in fauna. For example, permafrost’s soil under approximately 85% of Alaska The surface could move or shrink when it was deflected due to continuous extreme temperatures. In the long term, this could damage everything, pipelines with buildings, sewers and water supply. And change will be particularly difficult for groups more vulnerable to extreme temperatures, whether due to socioeconomics or medical conditions.

Thermal safety advice to keep in mind

According to the heat advice of the National Weather Service, “individuals and pets who are not used to these unusually hot temperatures for this region may experience heat -related concerns”.

It is essential to prepare where you can for heat, especially because many people will not be able to escape high temperatures. Small changes can go very far.

Simple advice To be used when it is hot outside:

Signs Heat -related diseaseas heat exhaustion or heat strokeInclude confusion, heavy perspiration, nausea, muscle cramps, fast impulse and cold and moist skin.