What's the weather like in Alaska during the summer?

This question was answered by Kelly McCorkle, our library intern!

A patron considering a trip to Alaska wanted to know what the weather is like and the time difference from Ohio. To answer the weather question, AccuWeather.com provides a month-by-month view of the historical average temperature for each day. Looking at June, we learn that the average high temperature ranges from 62-67 degrees with an average low of 46-52. July has an average of 68 for the high and average lows in the 50s. In August, the temperatures at the beginning of the month start out in the high 60s, but steadily decline towards the end of the month. Similarly, Alaska.org states that daytime temperatures range from 60-80, depending on the area with nighttime lows in the 40s and 50s. Alaska.org also notes that Alaska experiences exceptionally rainy summers. That being said, it explains that the best time to visit Alaska weather-wise is June 15th to July 15th. One of the biggest perks of visiting Alaska during this time is the extra daylight hours. June 21st is the longest day of the year everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, but because Alaska is so far north, it receives more sunlight than most places. So from late May to late July, Alaskan tourists can experience what AlaskaCenters.gov explains is called the “midnight sun” because it stays light so late into the night.

To answer the question about Alaska’s time difference, we head to WorldTimeServer.com. This website states that Alaska is four hours behind Ohio.

More information about Alaska can be found in the following books: Alaska by Janie Freeburg and The Alaska Bush Pilot Chronicles: More Adventures and Misadventures from the Big Empty by Mort D. Mason.

Did I Experience A Frost Quake?

"When it was so cold out, I heard a loud sound and felt my house shake. I heard it might have been a frost quake. Could you give me more information about that?" The extreme temperatures on January 6th and 7th caused the Newton Falls Public Library to close, and we wouldn't be surprised if they caused some strange weather conditions as well.

Breanna Draxler explains the science behind frost quakes in an article for the Discover Magazine blog. Also called cryoseisms, frost quakes occur when a cold snap follows a warm spell. Rain and melting snow seep into the earth, and then when it's cold again, they freeze and expand, cracking the frozen soil around them as they do. Frost quakes typically happen between midnight and dawn, when the night's at its coldest. They're fairly rare, and, fortunately, they don't often cause any damage.

According to Bob Downing's article in the Akron Beacon Journal, there's no way to prove that the loud boom that some Northeast Ohio residents experienced was a frost quake. However, the conditions were ideal, so it's a strong possibility. If people have been hearing their houses creak a lot lately, that can also be explained by the weather -- wood contracts in the cold, and wood joints may move a fraction of an inch.

For more information on unusual weather conditions, the Newton Falls Public Library has the National Audubon Society's Field Guide to Weather, Christopher C. Burt's Extreme Weather, and Bruce Buckley, Edward J. Hopkins, and Richard Whitaker's Weather: A Visual Guide available for borrowing.

I was wondering about the experts on the Weather Channel

“I was wondering about the experts on the Weather Channel; they are often referred to as doctor.  I was wondering what kind of doctorate degrees they have.”  The Newton Falls Public Library staff enjoys investigating such questions for our patrons.

The simplest way for our staff member to find this information was to go directly to the Weather Channel’s website, www.weather.com.  Their page, Our Meteorologists & Personalities, shows 34 individuals. Looking at their credentials, most have bachelor’s degrees in Meteorology or Atmospheric Science.  Dr. Greg Forbes is their severe weather expert. The website does not say for what is doctorate was earned, but from the following information given: “B.S. in Meteorology, Pennsylvania State University, M.S. and Ph.D., University of Chicago.  Studied under Dr. T. Theodore Fujita [a severe weather expert],” one thinks it may also be meteorology.