Climate monitoring in the Southwest Alaska Network: Annual report for the 2009 hydrologic year

Lindsay, Chuck

The Southwest Alaska Inventory and Monitoring Network monitors climate across a region that includes five national park units: Alagnak Wild River, Aniakchack National Monument and Preserve, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Kenai Fjords National Park, and Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. To date, monitoring efforts have focused on the placement and installation of new weather stations and the development, testing, and implementation of a protocol for monitoring climate. In addition to operating and maintaining nine weather stations in three network parks, weather observations are obtained from an additional 24 stations across the region of interest. This report, the first of an annual series, summarizes weather observations from the recent hydrologic year and provides a regional and historical climate context.The Southwest Alaska Network region was colder and drier than average during the 2009 hydrologic year (October 2008 through September 2009). Compared to the climatological normal (the prevailing set of weather conditions calculated over a 30-year period, currently 1971-2000), annual mean temperatures for six long-term weather stations were -2.6 to +0.1 F of normal. Total annual precipitation was 59 to 100% of normal. In general, precipitation across the Alaska Peninsula (western part of the region) was closer to average than precipitation across the Kenai Peninsula (eastern part). These colder and drier than average conditions are consistent with regional climatic conditions for the previous three years. Three new weather stations were installed in two network parks during the 2009 hydrologic year. The Southwest Alaska Inventory and Monitoring Network installed a remote automated weather station on the coast of Katmai National Park and Preserve (Fourpeaked RAWS) and high in the Chigmit Mountains in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve (Chigmit Mountains RAWS). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration installed a Climate Reference Network Station at Port Alsworth in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve (Port Alsworth 1 SW).

Climate monitoring in the Southwest Alaska Network: Annual report for the 2009 hydrologic year

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