Focus Area: Extreme Events

Extreme events are increasing in Alaska

Alaska is warming at over twice the rate of other parts of the globe. Along with this gradual change, the intensity and frequency of extreme climate events is increasing. Temperature extremes, low sea ice events, coastal erosion, and other shifts are causing more wildfire, drought, avalanches and landslides. These extreme events pose great risk to infrastructure, food security, and public health and safety. Rural communities, many of which are only accessible by air or water, are among the most vulnerable.

For Alaska and the Arctic as a whole, people need more information on extreme event impacts, the seasonal and sub-seasonal predictability of extreme events, and future projections.

ACCAP’s work on extreme events

ACCAP’s work on extreme events includes three interrelated components:

1. documenting and assessing impacts;
2. analyzing historical and projected change; and 
3. engaging Alaska communities and other sectors, such as the wildfire management community. 

ACCAP approaches this extreme events work by bringing together climate science, place-based knowledge, and practitioners' experience to interpret and apply scientific information in a way that solves real-world problems. ACCAP’s work focuses on extreme temperatures, heavy rain events causing flooding, heavy snow, drought, freezing rain and high-wind events.