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Record Warm Weather in Alaska’s Interior a Cause for Concern

It’s undeniable that the climate of the Alaskan interior and western Yukon Territories is undergoing a startling change. With warmer temperatures comes heightened risk of costly natural disasters.
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Unless you live there, the city of Eagle, Alaska, is far, far away. Here it is on a map:

That’s about as middle-of-nowhere as you can get, Antarctica notwithstanding.

As you can probably imagine, Eagle is typically known for three things. The first: its history as a Gold Rush boomtown. The second: that only about 90 people live there. The third: that you have no reason to expect the outside temperature to be 91°F (33°C) on May 23. Those three things (among other ancillary details) form the foundation of everything that is Eagle.

Gold Rush. Low population. Not 91°F  on May 23. 

Got that? Good, because:

The Coop station in Eagle, Alaska, reached 91°F yesterday. That is hotter than any day in #Houston or #Dallas, TX, this year. #akwx#txwx

— Brian Brettschneider (@Climatologist49) May 24, 2015

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