Nome had a warm, sunny summer
By Rick Thoman
Alaska Climate Specialist
Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Preparedness
International Arctic Research Center/University of Alaska Fairbanks
For many Nomeites, summer 2025 was the best weatherwise in several years, with more than the usual number of sunny warm days.
There was also enough rain to allow for a decent berry crop. There were about half a dozen wildfires in the region but all were comparatively small, burning in total about 1,350 acres, but there wasn’t much smoke in the region.
The Rabbit Fire in mid-June east of Unalakleet was close enough to a Bible Camp to require evacuation, but the fire was held at three acres.
At Nome Airport, the temperatures reached 70°F or higher on 11 days, the most for any summer since 2007.
Out at Dexter there were 16 days that got to at least 70°F.
However, unlike Northwest Arctic Borough, the highest temperatures in most of our region were not excessively high. The graphic shows the highest temperatures across the region this summer. For most places except on St. Lawrence Island and in the Bering Strait, these occurred in early July.
Missing FAA airport observations during the warmest weather from White Mountain and Deering preclude including summer high temperatures in those communities.
While this was the first time since July 2019 that Nome airport reported a temperature in the 80s, only one new daily record high was set, 80°F on July 6.
The hottest weather in July 2019 in many areas far exceeded what we saw this summer. In early July 2019, Nome airport got to 83°F, but White Mountain and Elim hit 90°F and Koyuk reached a blistering 92°F. The reason for the difference in temperatures is closely related to where the controlling high pressure aloft was centered. In July 2019 the high pressure aloft was right over the Bering Strait. This July, the high pressure aloft was centered over the western North Slope. That comparatively small difference resulted in a northeastward shift in the core of the highest temperatures.