This map shows the synoptic sutuation valid for 12utc the 7th of September. It is clear that along the Southern flank of the Beaufort high pressure system a strong Easterly wind blows along the Northern Alaska coast. Click on the map to see the full display.
Northern Passage at Point Barrow!
Climate of the Point Barrow region
Owing to its location 320 miles (515 km) north of the Arctic Circle, Barrow’s climate is cold and dry and is classified as a polar climate. Winter weather can be extremely dangerous because of the combination of cold and wind, while summers are cool even at their warmest. Weather observations are available for Barrow dating back into the late 1800s.[6] Currently there is a National Weather Service (NWS) Office and a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Climate Monitoring Lab in Barrow.
Despite the extreme northern location, temperatures at Barrow are moderated by the surrounding topography. With the Arctic Ocean on three sides, and flat tundra stretching some 200 miles (300 km) to the south there are no wind barriers and there are no protected valleys where dense cold air can settle or form temperature inversions in the lower atmosphere in the way that commonly happens in the Interior between the Brooks Range and the Alaska Range.
Barrow experiences the lowest average temperatures in Alaska. While recording the lowest temperatures statewide during cold waves is rare, extremely low wind chill and “white out” conditions from blowing snow are very common.
Temperatures remain below freezing from early October through late May. The high daily temperature is above freezing on an average of only 109 days per year. There are freezing temperatures on an average of 324 days per year. Freezing temperatures, and snowfall, can occur during any month of the year.
Barrow is a desert, with an average of less than 5 in (127 mm) “equivalent rainfall” per year, which includes less than 30 in (76 cm) of snow. (Since one inch of rain is approximately equal to twelve inches (305 mm) of snow).
The first snow (defined as snow that will not melt until next spring) generally falls during the first week of October, when temperatures cease to rise above freezing during the day. October is usually the month with the heaviest snowfall, with at least a trace of snow virtually every day and an average total accumulation of about 7 in (18 cm).Snow can also fall in the summer.
On November 18 or 19 the sun goes down, and remains below the horizon for about 65 days until it re-appears, normally on January 22 or January 23. During the first half of the polar night there is a decreasing amount of twilight each day, and on the winter solstice, December 21 or December 22, civil twilight in Barrow lasts for a mere 3 hours.
In addition to the low temperatures and months without sun, Barrow is also one of the cloudiest places on earth. Owing to the prevailing easterly winds off the Arctic Ocean, Barrow is completely overcast slightly more than 50% of the year and at least 70% overcast 62% of the time. Cloud types are mainly low stratus and fog, cumuli forms are rare. Peak cloudiness occurs in August and September when the ocean is open. Dense fog occurs an average of 65 days per year, mostly in the summer months. Ice fog is very common during the winter months, especially when the temperature drops below −30 °F (−34 °C).
Serious cold weather usually begins in January, and February is generally the coldest month, averaging −16 °F (−27 °C). A few days in December, January, February, and March feature daily record high temperatures in the low double digits, with the mid-30s that you see for the monthly record highs being exceptions. By March 1 the sun is up for 9 hours, the average temperature is 2 or 3 degrees warmer, and the winds are usually higher. April brings less extreme temperatures, with an average of about 0 °F (−18 °C), but on April 1 there are over 14 hours of sunlight. In May the temperatures are much warmer, averaging 20 °F (−7 °C). Beginning on May 11–12, the phenomenon known as the midnight sun occurs and the sun does not set for 82–83 days, until July 31-August 1. In June the average temperature rises above freezing, to 35 °F (2 °C), and average daily temperatures remain above freezing until mid-September.
July is the warmest month of the year with an average high of 46 °F (8 °C) and an average low temperature of 34 °F (1 °C). Beginning in late July the Arctic Ocean is relatively ice-free, and remains so until late October.
Variation of wind speed during the year is small, with the fall months being windiest. Extreme winds from 40–60 mph (60–100 km/h) have been recorded for all months.[7] The average winds are 12 mph (20 km/h), from the east. (source Wikipedia)
