Posts Near Utqiaġvik Map Timeline

The article describes a Utqiagvik family's significant milestone in catching the first bowhead whale of the spring season, amidst challenges posed by climate change affecting sea ice stability.

After 100 highs, Utqiagvik marks record low temperature

The United States’ northernmost city plummeted to a bone-chilling minus 20 degrees Wednesday morning, beating out the previous daily record set in 1973.

“I think it was a little more stable, and there was a little bit more assurance that the ice you were on was not going to disintegrate on you that easy,” said whaling captain Gordon Brower.

Sea ice has shrunk, but scientists are seeing signs that Alaska's bowhead whales are flourishing.

The ice conditions are similar to last year (with) lots of young ice and close leads," said Captain Frederick Brower. "We all went out and broke trail to the edge, but a high west wind came along and added about three-quarters to 1 mile of ice and (we) had to break trail through that and began whaling from the new edge ... . The conditions were not favorable but we made due with what we had and continued on with our whaling season."

The roughly 300 miles of hard-packed snow roads were constructed under the Community Winter Access Trails (CWAT) project, headed by the North Slope Borough.

With the average temperature hovering north of negative this winter, Utqiaġvik and much of the Arctic once again broke records with a season that didn't match up to historic expectations.

Air emissions from Prudhoe Bay-area oil fields can have a big influence on the particles in the air in Utqiaġvik, the town formerly known as Barrow.

4-29-14 Sea ice rescue - Barrow, Alaska, USA

The Far North's iconic polar bear appears to have joined the list of Arctic species afflicted with a mystery illness that causes hair loss, lesions and oozing sores. Six in Barrow and three in Kaktovik.