Chapter 10: Climate in Alaska

 

Kodiak

 

World Survey of Climatology Volume 11, Climates of North America, edited by Reid A. Bryson and F. Kenneth Hare Amsterdam-London-New York 1974 Table VIII p. 135:

Climate Table for Kodiak, Latitude 57°30’N, longitude 152°45’W.

 

Month

Temperature (°C)

Precipitation (mm)

Jan.

-1.2

130

Feb.

-02

128

Mar.

-01

96

Apr.

2.6

100

May

6.0

141

June

9.7

100

July

12.1

97

Aug.

12.8

95

Sept.

9.8

151

Oct.

5.2

169

Nov.

1.7

153

Dec.

-1.3

118

Annual

4.8

1,477

 

Warmest month: 12.8°C. Coldest month: -1.3°C. Number of months above freezing point: 8. Temperature sum of days above 0°C: 1833.1°. Temperature sum of days below 0°C: 68.2°. Annual temperature: 4.8°C. Annual precipitation: 1,477 mm.

 

 

Yukatat

 

World Survey of Climatology Volume 11, Climates of North America, edited by Reid A. Bryson and F. Kenneth Hare Amsterdam-London-New York 1974 Table X p. 137:

Climate Table for Yakutat, Latitude 59°31’N, longitude 139°40’W elevation 9 m

 

Month

Temperature (°C)

Precipitation (mm)

Jan.

-2.6

276

Feb.

-1.9

208

Mar.

-0.3

221

Apr.

2.8

184

May

7.0

203

June

10.3

129

July

12.3

214

Aug.

12.1

277

Sept.

9.6

420

Oct.

5.5

498

Nov.

1.0

407

Dec.

-2.2

312

Annual

4.4

3,348

 

Warmest month: 12.3°C. Coldest month: -2.6°C. Number of months above freezing point: 8. Temperature sum of days above 0°C: 1854.9°. Temperature sum of days below 0°C: 211.3°. Annual temperature: 4.4°C. Annual precipitation: 3,348 mm.

 

 

Anchorage

 

World Survey of Climatology Volume 11, Climates of North America, edited by Reid A. Bryson and F. Kenneth Hare Amsterdam-London-New York 1974 Table XII p. 139:

Climate Table for Anchorage, Latitude 61°10’N, longitude 199°59’W, elevation 27 m

 

Month

Temperature (°C)

Precipitation (mm)

Jan.

-10.9

 

Feb.

-7.8

18

Mar.

-4.8

13

Apr.

2.1

11

May

7.7

13

June

12.5

25

July

13.9

47

Aug.

13.1

65

Sept.

8.8

64

Oct.

1.7

47

Nov.

-5.4

26

Dec.

-9.8

24

Annual

1.8

374

 

Warmest month: 13.9°C. Coldest month: -10.9°C. Number of months above freezing point: 7. Temperature sum of days above 0°C: 1399°. Temperature sum of days below 0°C: 833°. Annual temperature: 1.8°C. Annual precipitation: 374 mm.

 

 

Fairbanks

 

World Survey of Climatology Volume 11, Climates of North America, edited by Reid A. Bryson and F. Kenneth Hare Amsterdam-London-New York 1974 Table XV p. 142.

Climate Table for Fairbanks, Latitude 64°49’N, longitude 147°52’W, elevation 133 m

 

Month

Temperature (°C)

Precipitation (mm)

Jan.

-23.9

23

Febr.

-19.4

13

Mar.

-12.8

10

Apr.

-1.4

6

May

8.4

18

June

14.7

35

July

15.4

47

Aug.

12.4

56

Sept.

6.4

28

Oct.

-3.2

22

Nov.

-15.6

15

Dec.

-22.1

14

Annual

-3.4

287

 

Warmest month: 15.4°C. Coldest month: -23.9°C. Number of months above freezing point: 5. Temperature sum of days above 0°C: 1755.2°. Temperature sum of days below 0°C: 1153.1°. Annual temperature: 3.4°C. Annual precipitation: 287 mm.

 

 

Kotzebue

 

World Survey of Climatology Volume 11, Climates of North America, edited by Reid A. Bryson and F. Kenneth Hare Amsterdam-London-New York 1974 Table XVI p. 143.

Climate Table for Kotzebue, Latitude 664°52’N, longitude 160°38’W, elevation 3 m

 

Month

Temperature (°C)

Precipitation (mm)

Jan.

-20.9

10

Febr.

-20.0

8

Mar.

-18.9

7

Apr.

-10.4

8

May

-0.6

8

June

6.6

12

July

11.5

37

Aug.

10.3

55

Sept.

4.9

31

Oct.

-4.1

15

Nov.

-13.7

9

Dec.

-19.8

7

Annual

-6.3

208

 

Warmest month: 11.5°C. Coldest month: -20.9°C. Number of months above freezing point: 5. Temperature sum of days above 0°C: 1020.8°. Temperature sum of days below 0°C: 3276.3°. Annual temperature: 3.4°C. Annual precipitation: 208 mm.

 

 

Barrow

 

World Survey of Climatology Volume 11, Climates of North America, edited by Reid A. Bryson and F. Kenneth Hare Amsterdam-London-New York 1974 Table XVI p. 143.

Climate Table for Barrow, Latitude 71°18’N, longitude 156°47’W, elevation 7 m

 

Month

Temperature (°C)

Precipitation (mm)

Jan.

-26.8

5

Febr.

-27.9

4

Mar.

-25,9

3

Apr.

17.7

3

May

-7.6

3

June

0.6

9

July

3.9

20

Aug.

3.3

23

Sept.

-0.8

16

Oct.

-8.6

13

Nov.

-18.2

6

Dec.

-24.0

4

Annual

-12.4

110

 

Warmest month: 3.9°C. Coldest month: -27.9°C. Number of months above freezing point: 3. Temperature sum of days above 0°C: 214.2°. Temperature sum of days below 0°C: 4738.1°. Annual temperature: -12.4°C. Annual precipitation: 110 mm.

 

 

Summary

 

In what kind of a climate is the coastal brown bear able to grow now so large? Where is the adult male brown bear able to reach a body weight of 700, 800, 900 or even 1000 kilogram? In what kind of a climate have the brown bear and the short-faced bear lived in central and northern Alaska and Yukon, who were just as large and as heavy as today’s coastal brown bear? The data from Alaska do show us:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In this climate, the brown bear at South Alaska’s Pacific coast is able to grow now so large. In this climate the adult male brown bear, in autumn, when fat, is able to reach a body weight of 700, 800, 900 and even 1000 kg.

 

In this climate the brown bear and the short-faced bear were also be able to live in central and northern Alaska, and in the central and northern Yukon Territory, when the mammoth was grazing up there. They were then just as large and as heavy, as the coastal brown bear today. Also the adult male brown bear and the short-faced bear, in autumn, when fat, were able to reach a body weight of 700, 800, 900 and even 1000 kg. In an arctic climate this is now possible.

 

The ground of central and northern Alaska and Yukon was then not frozen permanently. There was no permafrost. The warm season of the year, in which the plants are able to grow, was then 7 to 8 months long. The cold season, in which the plants were not able to grow, was very mild and very short. It was only 4 to 5 months long.

 

In an arctic tundra climate these large bears could not have lived. They would have starved to death, because the summer was too cold and too short. Annual aboveground plant production would have been too low. And during the long arctic winter, the digestible protein in the grasses, sedges, and other plants would have been too low. Also the mammoth would have starved to death up there in an arctic climate, due to lack of protein and energy. The ice age theory, as now generally taught, does not agree with the scientific facts, which we know now. It has been weighed on the scales and been found wanting.

  

 

Woolly mammoth and sabre-tooth cat in the Yukon Territory.

After: John Storer, Discover Beringia