Title: In Barrow, Alaska, climate change in action | NOAA Climate.gov
Headings: In Barrow, Alaska, climate change in action
In Barrow, Alaska, climate change in action
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The way sea ice used to be
Changes in sea ice lead to local climate change
Climate consequences for people, livelihoods, and property
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Content: Relatively mild Octobers were the rule from the late 1930s through the early 1950s, while cold Octobers prevailed from the mid-1960s through the late 1980s. October temperatures in Barrow, Alaska, since 1920 (blue line) and the five-year running average (red line). Since 2002, the ice pack has stayed far offshore into October. The year-to-year variability in early autumn temperatures (the sharp ups and downs) has dropped dramatically, and every October has been exceptionally warm. Given that Barrow has experienced extended warm or cold periods in the past, what's so unusual about the recent string of warm Octobers? When we say warm Octobers were “the rule” or cold Octobers “prevailed,” we're generalizing. The stretch of warm Octobers in the 1940s were still interrupted a few times by a cool one, for example. Since 2002, however, the ice pack has retreated, and now, not only are Octobers regularly near the warmest of record, but every October is exceptionally warm. Prior to 2002, huge year-to-year swings in October temperature were typical. However, as can be plainly seen in the graph above, temperatures since 2002 have been confined to a narrow range, unlike any previous period in the past nine decades, reflecting the moderating influence of the open ocean.