Baked Alaska

[G]

Does the weather in Alaska have anything to do with ours as we head in to the winter season? It has been historically hot there for months. Plus there are a bunch of fires. Here in NW MN we get smoke from Canadian fires in the fall when they light off their stubble fields. It comes from several thousand miles away. It always stinks and it sometimes blocks out the sun which would really make Al Gore mad if he were here. Is the ice loss up there already enough to make a difference down here?

 

[frnash]

From CNN: (click →) Why Alaska's ridiculous summer should scare you.
Quoted here in part:

"… on the Fourth of July … at 90 degrees, Anchorage was hotter than Key West."

 

[Admin]

There is a connection. It is called a teleconnection. The Alaskan weather does not cause the conditions in the central US, but rather the jet stream configuration impacts both. Typically, when Alaska sees above average temps, the central US sees below and vise versa. The teleconnection is more pronounced and reliable in the cold season.

-John