Air Pressure and Fronts

The air masses that affect Fairbanks, Alaska is the maritime (m) polar (P) or mP, and the continental (c) polar (P) or cP.  The mP drops by in the winter, blowing cool, humid air from the ocean into the state.  This air mass causes a warm-type occluded front.  The warm-type occluded front carries with it cool air from the Pacific Ocean gently nudging the cold air originating over the continent.  This pushes the warm air aloft and forms precipitation.[1]  There is also an air mass that originates over the state of Alaska called the continental polar (cP). This air mass is dry, and cold.  It forms at the end of winter when it packs its bags full of cold, dry weather and travels out of Alaska to visit the United States along the Rockies.

The Aleutian Low is a semi-permanent pressure system near the Aleutian Islands. Its crazy intensity in the winter creates strong traveling cyclones.  These types of storms cause cold winds to roll down from the Arctic poles and circulate over the continent—burr.  In a ‘positive phase’ oscillation, high pressure moves ocean storms farther towards the arctic providing a messy,wet system over the State of Alaska.[2]

Surface maps, similar to below, illustrated a cold and occluded front taking place around Alaska.  They will be encountering a cold front coming in from the north heading south.  Also, on Sunday the 30th  the beginning occlusion cyclonic circulation over the Aleutian Islands will be moving northeast into the state bringing precipitation.

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(updating images provided by Mountain Weather http://www.mountainweather.com/index.php?page=alaska_weather)

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[1] Lutgens, Frederick K., Edward J. Tarbuck, and Dennis Tasa. "Air Masses." The Atmosphere: an Introduction to Meteorology. 11th ed. New York: Prentice Hall, 2010. 248. Print.

[2] The Arctic Oscillation and Arctic Weather Patterns." National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC). Web. <http://nsidc.org/arcticmet/patterns/arctic_oscillation.html>.

General Information

Fairbanks, Alaska is rumored to have harsh winters and wonderful summers.  This city is the focal point for many scattered villages and a staging area for Barrows and the oil fields of Purdue Bay.  Fairbanks is located south of the Arctic Circle; during the summer solstice the sun never sets, and during the winter solstice the evening never meets with the day. [1] This blog will take you, the reader, briefly through the ins’ and outs’ of the weather and climate of this location.

Here, in the city of Fairbanks, for the month of October of 2011 the average high is 43^o and the average low is 26^o.   Looking back for the last four years the average high temperature has been somewhat on the rise while maintaining a fairly steady low.  The month of October is very dry with no precipitation and a dew point of 24^oF.[2]

Fairbanks, is the second largest city in Alaska, and is located in the central Tanana Valley.  The elevation of the city Fairbanks is 432 feet above sea level.  North of the city are hills that lead into the White Mountains Range and the Yukon River, to the west are the Kuskokwim Mountains.  The snow pack in the area is established in October and remains until May.  On clear days, one can see the Alaska Mountain Range in the distance.[3]

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[1] "Fairbanks Alaska." Fairbanks Alaska Visitor Information Site. Aurora Web Masters, 30 May 2011. <http://fairbanks-alaska.com/>.

[2] Masters, Dr. Jeff. Weather Forecast & Reports - Long Range & Local | Wunderground : Weather Underground. Weather Underground INC, 2011. <http://www.wunderground.com/>.

[3]  "Snow forecast for Fairbanks-area hills",Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. September 22, 2009. Accessed October 4, 2009.