Was the Anchorage all-time temperature report aided by airport development?
It positive appears that method. Yesterday, NWS Anchorage trumpeted these headlines:
The Anchorage Worldwide Airport has simply reached 89 levels. The all time report excessive temperature for #Anchorage has formally been damaged. The earlier report of 85 levels was set on June 14, 1969 (interval of report 1952-2019). #AKwx #RecordHeat
— NWS Anchorage (@NWSAnchorage) July 5, 2019
Right here is the official report. [language removed – I accidentally conflated the all-time record high with daily high -Anthony]
Supply: https://w2.climate.gov/local weather/getclimate.php?wfo=pafc
The stage was set by a climate occasion: a big high-pressure dome centered squarely over Anchorage:
Higher-level excessive stress may be very sturdy and anchored over southern Alaska. Mannequin output. (TropicalTidbits.com)
Regardless of what local weather alarmists say, it was a climate occasion, not a local weather occasion.
However did the situation of the temperature studying have something to do with the brand new “all-time” report excessive in Anchorage? Fairly presumably.
First, there have been different data set within the space, and all of them had been smack-dab underneath the middle of that prime stress dome. It’s a well-known meteorological undeniable fact that sinking air heats up:
Notice that these different data are all at airport areas.
Right here’s the situation of the ASOS (Aviation climate station) that made the Anchorage report in Google Earth. Notice the black streaks on the runway simply south, that’s the place nearly all of planes land and placed on reverse thrust and take off. Winds coming from the south will push sizzling jet exhaust in direction of the ASOS temperature sensor.
The yellow marker is the situation of the ASOS climate station through Google Earth:
Click on to enlarge. Supply: https://www.google.com/maps/@61.168541,-150.0165294,3320m/knowledge=!3m1!1e3
NW winds can be warming downslope winds from Mt. Sustina (Foehn winds). Yesterday the prevailing winds had been WEST on the time of the data, however NW both aspect of that hour. Winds from N, NW, W, SW, and S will all transport warmth from the taxiway and runway asphalt in direction of the temperature sensor.
Closeup view:
Supply: https://www.google.com/maps/@61.16908,-150.0275,245m/knowledge=!3m1!1e3
This picture from Bing Maps through Digital Globe reveals that there’s development going on the airport for that runway. Notice all the development tools parked across the ASOS station (circled in purple):
Supply: https://www.bing.com/maps?cp=61.16908018593092~-150.02875101566315&sty=r&lvl=18&FORM=MBEDLD
One wonders if the development tools may need been including to the temperature report, like our well-known Scottish Ice Cream Truck added to an “all-time” temperature report.
Right here is the hourly knowledge from July 4th:
Supply: https://w1.climate.gov/knowledge/obhistory/PANC.html
The Authorities Hill station in Anchorage , about 5.6 miles away to the NE, solely hit 79 about the identical time on July 4th
Supply: https://www.wunderground.com/dashboard/pws/KAKANCHO105/graph/2019-07-Four/2019-07-Four/every day
In 1969, the airport station was not sandwiched between two ashpalt heatsinks and the ASOS didn’t exist. The ASOS system didn’t come into use till the 1990s.
I believe the situation on the airport may have simply added a few levels to the report. Identical for the opposite airport areas of Kenai, Palmer, and King Salmon.
Airport historical past, notice the expansion:
http://www.dot.state.ak.us/anc/about/historical past.shtml
It positive regarded lots completely different earlier than 1970. Small tower, and just one runway, as this historic photograph from the FAA reveals, wanting west:
Notice the airport in the present day – quite a lot of asphalt and concrete:
And in 1964, in response to NOAA’s HOMR database, the station was moved a couple of mile west, in all probability from the tower location. Again then most small airport towers had the temperature sensor on the tower so they may laptop and report the crucial density altitude data.
Supply: https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/homr/#ncdcstnid=20022040&tab=LOCATIONS
This was in all probability because of the airport reconstruction because of the nice Alaska Earthquake. Perhaps the Earthquake had a hand within the 1969 report because of the location change and the development.
In my opinion, the Anchorage airport is a false report, aided and abetted by the situation of the thermometer, and a horrible place to measure for climatic data. In my opinion, this report displays the expansion of the airport, not local weather change.
Don’t imagine me? Learn this just lately launched peer-reviewed paper which says easy issues like “openness” as a result of obstructions contribute as a lot as 1 diploma C: (h/t to Dr. Roger Pielke Sr.)
Microscale Warming as a result of Poor Air flow at Floor Remark Stations
Summary
Display screen-level air temperature measurements at floor commentary stations are influenced by local-site-scale elements. These native influences could have an effect on global-scale local weather change research. This examine investigated the affect of floor obstacles on air temperature measurements on the display degree at local weather commentary stations in Japan. Display screen-level air temperature was measured concurrently at two neighboring websites (<100 m aside) that differed by way of their openness. Daytime air temperature was zero°–1°C increased on the narrower website, and theoretical evaluation revealed that this warming was brought on by poor air flow. At evening, poor air flow on the narrower website brought about the air temperature to be zero°–zero.2°C decrease, which was demonstrated experimentally and by theoretical evaluation. The vary of temperature modifications as a result of website narrowing proven on this examine isn't negligible in local weather change research. Tips for website upkeep and metadata recoding had been consequently proposed by way of website openness.
https://journals.ametsoc.org/doi/abs/10.1175/JTECH-D-18-0176.1
It makes me marvel if that development equipment (see above within the Bing Maps photograph) was nonetheless parked across the ASOS for the July 4th vacation.
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