Temperatures Rise Outside and Inside Buildings

Observation by Santina Gay

As temperatures are soaring in Anchorage during the early part of July, we have seen record breaking heat. Many employees came to work and experienced very hot offices. The building I work in was no exception. Our facility covers approximately 9 acres and about 735,000 square feet of buildings. Our operations and maintenance staff do their best to insure all mechanical systems are functioning properly. But several factors limited their ability to respond, including significant smoke from the Swan Lake wildfire, which limits the amount of outside air we can use. The unusual heat and systems were not designed for 90 degree weather, and our systems were not turned on in time for this level of heat - so all this has contributed to a pretty unique situation. The O&M crew are looking at new systems and policies to mitigate this. In the meantime, chillers will run 24 hours until they get the building temperatures back in line.

Comments from LEO editors:

The entire state experienced a very unusually hot summer, all-time temperature high's were set in Kenai, Palmer, King Salmon, and Anchorage during the month of July. Anchorage surpassed the previous record high temperature by 5°F, reaching an overwhelming 90°F (climate.gov). The anomalous nature of the heat wave experienced in Alaska was intensified by the long summer days, and minimal respite from the sunshine. As central cooling is not a commonplace amenity in Alaskan homes, residents have had to get creative in trying to create a comfortable environment. Some of which can be found in an article published by KTVA, outlining various ways Alaskan's are trying to keep cool without air conditioners.

Warmer summers may be occurring at a larger scale, according to the NASA global land-ocean temperature index, as discussed in an article published by The Washington Post. It was reported that the global average temperature was 1.7°F degrees higher than the norm for the month of June, and many other northern regions experienced unusually high, and some record-breaking, temperatures. Elizabeth Lindley

For information on how to create a "clean air shelter" in your home, see the attached guidance document from the Government of Yukon Territory, Health and Social Services.