Traditional and social media engagement

January 6, 2026
Rick Thoman speaks to two people in front of weather and climate posters.

ACCAP reaches the public through local, statewide and international media as well as several social media channels. This work centers on Rick Thoman’s impactful engagement. He interviews with journalists worldwide typically garnering around 1,000 media mentions annually. Thoman has sustained relationships with Alaska news media and hosts weekly and seasonal radio spots on several stations, and writes a weekly column for the Nome Nugget newspaper. He also provides one-on-one support for local communities in need of specific climate data, and historical context for local climate and weather events.

Tailored radio spots related to local and regional climate

  • Beyond the Weather (KUAC Fairbanks and Interior Alaska) – Weekly, 90 seconds: historical events, climate drivers and models, Interior Alaska
  • Climate Highlights (KNOM Nome; KYUK Bethel, KDLG Dillingham) – Weekly, 90 seconds: sea ice, ocean temperatures, west and southwest Alaska
  • Iditarod Radio Weather (KNOM Nome) – Weather and historical content for Alaska’s Iditarod sled dog race to augment Iditarod race coverage
  • Fish Reports (KDLG Dillingham) – Weekly in June-July during commercial salmon fishing season in Bristol Bay

Print and online news

  • Nome Nugget – Weekly column: weather and climate concerns in Seward Peninsula and Bering Strait, sea ice conditions and outlooks
Graphic showing Rick Thoman's impact via media mentions. It shows that there were 242 mentions from 18 cities across Alaska, 931 mentions from 50 U.S. states (excluding Alaska), 360 mentions from 38 countries around the world (excluding the U.S.). There were also 599 unique headlines with words like Arctic, weather, climate, Alaska, change, ships, port, cruise, Nome, water, impacts, military, deep, summer, dramatic, public, rapid, wildfires, warmest, ice, Anchorage, cold, air, longtime, national, air appearing the most often.

On social media

Rick Thoman shares locally relevant climate and weather information for Alaskans on various social media platforms. He writes a regular blog “Alaska and Arctic Climate Newsletter”, and is active on Mastodon, BlueSky, and his Seward Peninsula and Bering Strait focused Facebook group. Though these channels and his media engagement he has become a trusted source for timely, visual, and reliable climate and weather information for Alaska. His information augments National Weather Service forecasts by amplifying important messages, providing historical perspective, and making conditions relevant to a particular area.