Then, if the storm passes by to the north of Unimak, the winds veer towards the southwest and then west, and as the storm leaves the area, winds blow from the northwest and then start diminishing. Walrus also hauled out on the sand bars on the north side of the lower Alaska Peninsula and were traditionally hunted by Aleuts (Unangan) and later by the Russians.5. Storms over the Central Aleutian Islands will bring warm air up from the south as well as rain to the islands Monday into Tuesday. The chart below plots the average number of days in any month that you can expect to see rain falling. An old Aleut saying is:  "The wind is not a river." Although extensive data doesn't seem to be available on the southern extent of Bering Sea ice, the available data and anecdotal evidence indicates that the sea ice edge seldom goes beyond Isanotski Strait and rarely as far as Unimak Pass. The wettest time of the year is September through December. In recent times the highest recorded temperature in December has been 12°C that's 54°F, with the lowest recorded temperature -17°C, about 1°F. The Aleutian Low is found in the area where the relatively warm waters of the south meet the colder waters to the north. The Aleutian Islands off Alaska's southwest coast represent a true bridge over troubled water, albeit a broken one. This feature also encompasses non-stationary systems of both low and high pressure (cyclones and anticyclones) that form and dissipate along fronts and rapidly move in a broad sub-polar band of west-to-east flowing air currents widely known as the prevailing westerlies. If the storm center passes to the north of Unimak, there is a veering wind shift from SE, to SW, to W, to NW as the storm moves by. Precipitation varies widely, from 530mm up to 2,080mm. The strongest of these storms may make their way to the west coast of North American during the winter and then move across the mid section of the U.S.. ... (−15 °C) respectively. The 7 day weather forecast summary for Aleutian Islands: For Aleutian Islands in the … The chart below plots the average number of days in any month that you can expect to see snow falling. Winds and tides can bring drift ice from the edge of the Bering Sea ice pack into Isanotski Strait and as far south as Ikatan Bay. The graph to the right shows the mean wind direction frequency in % for Cold Bay, the nearest reporting station. Eddy energy in the Aleutian Islands region has been low from the fall 2012 through 2018, indicating the likelihood of smaller than average fluxes of volume, heat, salt, and nutrient fluxes through Amukta Pass (p. 49). A few conifers introduced by the Russians grow on the islands of Amaknak and Adak. Today, the land mass has been splintered into … The islands experience a maritime climate. The Aleutian Low is one of the principal causal factors of the weather and climate in the Unimak region. Wind gusts over 50 MPH occur 3 or more days per month for 7 months of the year. A powerful storm swirled through the Aleutian Islands of Alaska this week, providing incredible satellite images and producing wind gusts near hurricane force. These cloud formations were seen over the western Aleutian Islands. Weather data, both graphic and numeric, for the Unimak area & Cold Bay can be accessed here. The seasonal changes in surface air tem-perature (SAT) across the Aleutian Islands are relat-ively uniform, from 5 to 10 C in summer to near freezing temperatures in winter. The stronger ALs generally move eastward south of the Aleutian Islands. The graph on the right shows that the difference between the average high and average low is roughly 10 degrees. The graph shows that the area of ice in the Bering Sea often fluctuates substantially from the 1979-2008 mean, usually in the range of about +-10 to 25%. Agriculture thrives between early May and late September. For Aleutian Islands in the coming week the average daytime maximum temperature will be around 7°C, with a high for the week of 15°C expected on the afternoon of Thursday 29th. The average annual temperature for the inhabited islands is about 38 °F in January and 52 °F in August. The strong influence of the marine environment dampens the temperature extremes and daily and seasonal variations. They extend in an arc southwest, then northwest, for about 1,100 miles (1,800 km) from the tip of the Alaska Peninsula to Attu Island, Alaska. The Aleutian Island is mostly cone volcano’s and some are still activate, but only on one side of the Island not all of the volcano’s can still activate. The wind direction is very important to local fishermen and mariners. 23 November 2020 at 20:00-21:00: Rain, Temperature 7, 0.5 mm, Gale, 18 m/s from south Wind conditions in the Unimak area are the most important weather factor for local fishermen. WEATHER IN THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS AND PRIBILOF ISLANDS 16710 November 22, 2019 3 2. Certain bays, like Urilia Bay, become unfishable during times of strong westerly winds. This means that the winds will change direction and intensity as a low pressure storm passes by. A combination of climate warming and loss of sea otters is harming the reefs that underpin Alaskan kelp forests in the Aleutian Islands. Easterly winds are relatively uncommon. Aleutian Islands, chain of islands that separate the Bering Sea (north) from the main portion of the Pacific Ocean (south). From this a comfort level is calculated providing categories on how heat conditions might adversely affect someone. The average annual rainfall is about 80 inches (2,000 mm), and Unalaska, with about 250 rainy days per … The chart below plots the average monthly precipitation amount. The map shows that the weaker Aleutian Lows (AL) often move into the western Bering Sea. Given the small landmass, the human footprint is quite large — the region is ranked 5th out of the 13 regions for human impacts. The average daily wind speed in December has been around 27 km/h, that’s the equivalent to about 17 mph, or 15 knots. The two primary wind directions the year around for the Unimak area are southeast and its opposite, northwest. In recent years the maximum sustained wind speed has reached 96 km/h, that’s the equivalent of around 60 mph, or 52 knots. Its position and size can be shown to be correlated with major indices such as ENSO, and in this manner it conveniently represents a mechanism for assessing impacts from teleconnection patterns."1. A deep-draft vessel that intends to come within 3 nautical miles of the Aleutian or Pribilof Islands and anchor to avoid severe weather shall notify the Coast Guard as soon as practicable in accordance with 33 CFR 160.215: CONTACT INFORMATION: The Aleutian Islands experience oceanic climate with heavy rainfall and moderate temperatures. The climate profile is taken from closest available data source to Aleutian Islands. Comfort Levels: Given average maximum temperatures and humidity levels generally you should not anticipate any discomfort from heat (see heat index for more information). If the storm center passes to the south of Unimak, there is a backing windshift, starting with southeast, then backing to east, northeast and finally northwest as the storm center moves away. The regular temperature in Alaska is about 38 degrees Fahrenheit (3 degrees Celsius) but the weather will change during seasons or months. There is little concern about whether the day will be sunny or cloudy or even rainy, it is the wind that matters most because it determines the safety of traveling by boat or skiff. Climate. The Aleutian Low is one of the principal causal factors of the weather and climate in the Unimak region. The summers are relatively quieter, but even then gale force winds usually occur. The information presented below gives detailed historical monthly average weather conditions along with exceptional weather occurrences. Temperature. Below is a picture of ice filling Isanotski Strait in False Pass.4, Amak Island lies just off shore from Isanotski Strait in the Bering Sea and it was historically a walrus hauled out, indicating that the edge of the Bering Sea ice pack was near by. Shemya or Simiya (Aleut: Samiyax̂) is a small island in the Semichi Islands group of the Near Islands chain in the Aleutian Islands archipelago southwest of Alaska, at CoordinatesIt has a land area of 5.903 sq mi (15.29 km 2), and is about 1,200 miles (1,900 km) southwest of Anchorage, Alaska.It is 2.73 miles (4.39 km) wide and 4.32 miles (6.95 km) long. James Estes, now an emeritus professor at the University of California Santa Cruz, has been studying the Aleutian Islands since 1970. When he first visited Amchitka Island, he could count anywhere from 50 to 300 sea otters from the shore. Please click on the graph to see a larger version. During such cold winters, the Bering Sea can be covered with ice as far as Isanotski Strait and cold Siberian air can drive the temperatures down to near zero. A low pressure system lifting through the Great Lakes today will produce some heavy snow. The islands are devoid of native vegetation except for grass and stunted willows. Their website on "The Cryosphere Today" can be accessed here and it contains the most up-to-date information on ice in the Bering Sea, the Beaufort Sea and other world sea ice areas. King Cove City, Aleutian Islands weather conditions, average/minimum/maximum temperature, humidity variation graphs. “Despite the fact that the Aleutian Archipelago is remote and largely uninhabited, it nonetheless has a long history of predator exploitation, and is also at the front lines of climate change,” said Douglas Rasher. This is also the zone where the colder air from the subarctic meets the warmer moist air to the south. The Islands of the Four Mountains in Alaska’s central Aleutians are about as inhospitable an environment as a person can imagine. The chart below plots the average daily wind speed you can expect for any month. Generally, larger islands receive more precipitation than smaller ones, and coastal areas more than inland areas. The following charts show yearly weather trends with information on monthly weather averages and extremes. The "Cradle of the Storms" is the colloquial name for the Aleutian Low area because this is the stormiest area in the north Pacific.2  These cyclonic storms generally travel eastward along the Aleutians in the zone of the westerly winds. This means that the Unimak Area is generally free from winter incursions of cold air from the Alaska mainland and only occasionally does cold Siberian area make its way across the Bering Sea to the Aleutian Islands, although in particularly cold winters this does happen. This image was acquired by the Landsat 7 satellite on June 16, 2000. At night the average minimum temperature drops down to around -2°C, that's 29°F. characteristics of climate variability that may pertain to the climate hypothesis regarding the long-term population decline of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus). During the summer, it is located farther north, and is small and impermanent to nonexistent. Throughout the month you can expect to see rain or drizzle falling on 17 days of the month, with snow falling on 22 days. The days with the heaviest rainfall occurs in the fall, but strong storms can bring southeast winds and heavy rainfall at other times of the year. 1995). The climate of the islands is oceanic, with moderate and fairly uniform temperatures and heavy rainfall. Temperatures range from average lows of -7O°C to -20°C in winter to average highs of 10°C to 13°C in summer (Gallant et al. The temperature regime for the Unimak area is documented at the Cold Bay weather station, about 30 miles northeast of False Pass on the Alaska Peninsula. The temperature and wind forecast is for 12 noon. The Aleutian Low shifts position and changes in intensity with the seasons. Compared to neighboring regions, the Alaska Peninsula / Aleutian Islands region is categorized by a cooler, drier climate. This work is being done at the University of Illinois/Urbana-Champaign at the Polar Research Group/ Dept. Another storm will race through the Intermountain West today with snow, arrive in the Southern U.S. on Sunday with snow, rain and thunderstorms and reach the East on Monday. The Aleutian Low's location and intensity is shown in the above three maps in relation to the stationary North Pacific High that lies to the south. The objective of this paper is to highlight those characteristics of climate variability that may pertain to the climate hypothesis regarding the long‐term population decline of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus).The seasonal changes in surface air temperature (SAT) across the Aleutian Islands are relatively uniform, from 5 to 10°C in summer to near freezing temperatures in winter. June is usually the quietest month and December, January and February have 5.0 days each of winds over 50 MPH. Expect 0.7 mm of precipitation over the past 3 hours. King Cove City, Aleutian Islands current conditions, weather forecast and climate chart (temperature and humidity). The Aleutian Islands were no exception to the trend. The Maximum wind gust during this period was 83 MPH, but every month had gusts of 60 MPH or over. This creates a large band of atmospheric instability with rising moist air that stretches from the Kamchatka Peninsula in the west and all the Aleutian Islands chain. Pilot Point, Aleutian Islands, Alaska weather conditions, average/minimum/maximum temperature, humidity variation graphs. The area of sea ice in the Bering Sea is plotted on the graph to the right, from the year 1979 to mid-April 2012. 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