Map and data credit: NOAA

It isn’t a figment of Alaskans’ imagination: Alaska’s winters are indeed warmer.  Winter months (December through February) have seen a substantial rise in average temperatures over the past fifty years.  The northern part of the state has seen the largest increase, with a 9.0 to 9.2F degree rise, but the entire state is under a warming trend.

Nome Sea Ice:

Data credit: UAF, ACCAP, NOAA, @AlaskaWx

Sea ice off the coast of Nome, Alaska is nonexistent in December, defying the historical record.  Everything but recent history, that is.  The drop off the statistical edge that the graph shows is pretty eye-opening.

The Port of Nome was open and operating at the end of November, which is the latest that has happened on record.

Nome “Ice” Cam