University of Alaska Fairbanks researchers have analysed almost a century of Alaska fire weather data and found out that many of Alaska’s most extreme wildfire seasons started with an early snowoff.
A snowoff is a term used to describe the last day of the year when snow is visible in a given place.
Peter Bieniek, a UAF climate scientist who co-authored the study, said his research group found that snow is melting much earlier than in the past due to human-caused climate change.
“So, what happens during an early snowoff year? Typically, it means you have a warm spring,” he said.
“When you have a lot of fire, you also typically have warmer Junes and Julys that follow. Those warm conditions that started and resulted in the earlier snowoff persist into the fire season.”
Theodor Lisovoy, Managing Editor, Rough&Polished
