Climate Watch

By Rick Thoman Alaska Climate Specialist Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy International Arctic Research Center/University of Alaska Fair- banks

During the past 50 years in Nome, Mountain hit 40°F that day. the Thanksgiving Day average high The coldest Thanksgiving was temperature has been 18°F and the easily 1963, when the high temp at average low 4°F. The majority of Nome was minus 10°F and Unalakleet Thanksgiving Days have at least a dropped to minus 24°F that day. Barge caught after drifting

little new snow. Of course, there However, 2021 brought only the have been extremes. Perhaps the third Thanksgiving to have a high isloose in Bering Strait

Thanksgiving Day celebration stormiest Thanksgiving Day was in temperature below zero and overall an old American tradition and has 2003. Blizzard conditions were was second coldest on record. been a national holiday since the widespread along the coast west of Snow cover is often still fairly Civil War era. For many years Elim in the morning, with peak wind thin but not always. Snow depths at Thanksgiving was celebrated on the gusts of 53 mph at Nome, 58 mph at Nome in excess of 18 inches were reported last Thursday of November, but since Golovin and 61 mph at Gambell. on Thanksgiving 1948, 1994 1942 it’s been on the fourth Thursday Thanksgiving has only rarely and 1997. of November. Over the past century brought above freezing temperatures In contrast, Nome reported no the date of Thanksgiving has varied to western Alaska. At Nome, the high snow at all on the ground for Thanksgiving between November 20 and November of 37°F in 1943 stands as the mildest 2001 and about once a decade 30. Thanksgiving of record, and White snow cover is just patchy.