Whoa! Look at Alaska!

Temperature in Alaska on the afternoon of May 23, 2015, based on data from NOAA's Real-time Mesoscale

Alaska sets new record for earliest day with temperatures in the 90s!

Temperature in Alaska on the afternoon of May 23, 2015, based on data from NOAA's Real-time Mesoscale

Unbelievable that Alaska would have its first day in the 90's before we do in my area in Florida.

From NOAA:

This temperature map of Alaska shows the unusual warmth on May 23, 2015, at 2 p.m. local time in Fairbanks.  Based on NOAA’s Real-time Mesoscale Analysis data, it shows air temperatures at 2 meters (6.6 feet) above the ground. Temperatures below 45° are shades of blue, and temperatures above 45° are shades of orange and red.

[...]

The 91° temperature at Eagle smashed that location’s all-time record for May. It was 30.1° hotter than the average daily high temperature in May (59.5°F), and 18.1° warmer than the average high temperature in July, Eagle’s warmest month of the year. So far this month, Eagle has set or tied ten daily high temperature records.

Alaska is now at high risk for wildfires due to heat and dryness.

The new record edged out the previous “earliest day in the 90s” record, set on May 24, 1960, when Fort Wainwright (near Fairbanks) had a high of 92°F and Circle Hot Springs (northwest of Eagle) had a high of 90°F. The high temperature at Eagle during that heatwave was 83°F.

We have arrived at extreme weather due to climate change a lot faster than was predicted.
Are we ready to make the necessary changes both in policy and in our own lives?