Early thaw around Mukluk Slough

Observation: Our sloughs usually start thawing and pushing water in mid April. The normal temps this time of the year usually is -15 degrees F. Today the temperature is +38 degrees F, and its been above zero for a couple of weeks straight.

LEO Comment: The average mean temperature for the month of February, 2016 was about 30° F in Kaltag, AK, located about 30 miles to the Southwest of Nulato along the Yukon River. The data collected was based on information from the Kaltag weather station via Weather Underground. M. Tcheripanoff

Resource: Scenarios Network for Alaska + Arctic Planning (SNAP) community charts explore temperature and precipitation projections for communities across Alaska and Canada. Due to variability among climate models and among years in a natural climate system, the graph is useful for examining trends over time, rather than for precisely predicting monthly or yearly values for any given community. Results are averaged across decades to lessen the influence of normal year-to-year climate variability on projected values. Averaging also tends to make overall projection trends clearer. According to the SNAP Community Chart, average February temperatures in Nulato are historically below zero degrees Fahrenheit, but have been gradually warming. As described by Nulato Tribal Council, the temperatures are unseasonably warm.