This is a map of unusual environmental events from December 1, 2018 to February 28, 2019. The data includes local observations and news articles from the LEO Network.The purpose of the map is to provide a summary of selected events from the past quarter used by the One Health Group to evaluate emerging threats and trends. Strong signals for the season in Alaska and Western Canada (featured in this map) include unusual and poor ice conditions and unusual behavior in terrestrial wildlife. The map is a product of the Center for Climate and Health, the Alaska and Arctic Center for Climate Assessment and Policy, and the One Health Group. This map is a product of the Center for Arctic Climate and Health at Alaska Pacific University.
Ice / Snow Change | 7 | ||
Seasonal Timing | 5 | ||
Unusual Animal Behavior | 4 | ||
Unusual Range / Sighting | 2 | ||
Extreme Temperature | 2 | ||
Storm Surge | 1 | ||
Extreme Wind | 1 | ||
Flooding / Draining | 1 |
Transportation | 5 | ||
Human Health | 4 | ||
Pets | 3 | ||
Food Security | 2 | ||
Sports / Recreation | 2 | ||
Economic Impact | 1 | ||
Cultural Impact | 1 | ||
Buildings | 1 | ||
Water Security | 1 |
Late freeze on the Lower Kuskokwim produced ice conditions unsafe for travel in November.
Lynx have attacked five dogs in Inuvik since late November, a trend a local wildlife officer calls surprising. The behaviour is unusual since lynx are typically reclusive animals and don't usually come into inhabited areas.
Wolves don't typically linger around the community, they're hungry because the caribou are all in Alaska right now. There's also little snow around Old Crow so it may be harder for wolves to hunt moose. About ten dogs have been killed.
Jim Hollandsworth of Arctic Village said he encountered the bear in early January. He said the bear had tried to get into his cabin about 32 kilometers from the village.
Officers received four separate calls in 48 hours from Sunday to Monday. The wolves were quite active, quite brazen, coming out in the daylight hours right in residential areas. One resident had a dog encounter with one of the wolves but was not harmed.
Hungry and looking for food, where it was last fall. Very warm 40 degrees and rain. I'm sure it disturbed his hibernation.
Very strong south winds took out all the sea ice and created an ice pile in front of the village.
When the green water is here, its dangerous to travel straight across the Lagoon to White Mountain. In the past we took the land route, cross on Kitchavik river and on up over land to White Mountain.
Weather had been pouring rain and 45-degree temps for several days leading up to the sighting.
'This year especially there's been lots of reports of thin ice and open water in places where there hasn't been in previous years,' said James Connor of the Klondike Snowmobile Association.
Leads appeared following a warm storm, in areas with usually stable, shorefast ice. The leads separate many crabbers from their pots, and are illustrative of how Norton Sound's recent erratic sea ice patterns are altering subsistence opportunities and patterns.
A warm winter storm leads to sea ice loss and flooding of homes in Western Alaska. "Damage to the foundation of the homes is all I think happened, besides wet clothing and a few things on the floor."
Swans have arrived early in Southeast Alaska this year, with most lakes still frozen and no green grass anywhere. Most lakes are frozen; the swan is sticking to a small patch of water surrounded by ice.
Wales lost shorefast ice early in the season. Ice along the shore has been crushed and broken. This is a very unusual event for Wales as many of our hunters rely on great ice conditions for whale and other sea mammal catch for food.