Middleton Island

Middleton Island is a small, uninhabited island in the U.S. state of Alaska, located in the Pacific Ocean approximately 80 miles (130 km) southwest of Cordova.[1] The island was briefly home to Middleton Island Air Force Station, an early warning radar station, from 1958 until the station's closure in 1963.[2][3] During the 1964 Alaska earthquake the island was raised an additional 12 feet (3.7 m) above sea level.[4] The island now hosts the unattended Middleton Island Airport and a NEXRAD weather radar.[5][6][7]

A raft of Steller sea lions off the coast of Middleton Island, 1978

Climate

Middleton Island has a subpolar oceanic climate (Köppen: Cfc).

Climate data for Middleton Island, Alaska
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 46
(8)
46
(8)
47
(8)
51
(11)
63
(17)
67
(19)
70
(21)
72
(22)
62
(17)
59
(15)
53
(12)
46
(8)
72
(22)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 43.0
(6.1)
42.2
(5.7)
43.7
(6.5)
47.4
(8.6)
53.7
(12.1)
58.6
(14.8)
63.0
(17.2)
63.5
(17.5)
59.1
(15.1)
52.8
(11.6)
47.3
(8.5)
43.2
(6.2)
65.4
(18.6)
Average high °F (°C) 36.2
(2.3)
36.2
(2.3)
37.9
(3.3)
42.1
(5.6)
46.2
(7.9)
51.4
(10.8)
56.4
(13.6)
57.8
(14.3)
54.5
(12.5)
47.3
(8.5)
42.1
(5.6)
37.6
(3.1)
45.5
(7.5)
Daily mean °F (°C) 33.3
(0.7)
33.3
(0.7)
34.9
(1.6)
38.5
(3.6)
42.9
(6.1)
47.9
(8.8)
52.8
(11.6)
54.4
(12.4)
51.1
(10.6)
44.1
(6.7)
39.3
(4.1)
34.6
(1.4)
42.2
(5.7)
Average low °F (°C) 30.4
(−0.9)
30.3
(−0.9)
31.9
(−0.1)
34.9
(1.6)
39.5
(4.2)
44.3
(6.8)
49.2
(9.6)
51.0
(10.6)
47.7
(8.7)
40.9
(4.9)
36.5
(2.5)
31.6
(−0.2)
39.0
(3.9)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 19.6
(−6.9)
20.9
(−6.2)
22.9
(−5.1)
27.9
(−2.3)
34.5
(1.4)
40.3
(4.6)
45.1
(7.3)
46.3
(7.9)
41.7
(5.4)
34.1
(1.2)
27.9
(−2.3)
22.2
(−5.4)
14.5
(−9.7)
Record low °F (°C) 9
(−13)
6
(−14)
13
(−11)
14
(−10)
23
(−5)
36
(2)
42
(6)
42
(6)
36
(2)
29
(−2)
13
(−11)
12
(−11)
6
(−14)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 4.14
(105)
3.40
(86)
3.01
(76)
3.39
(86)
3.34
(85)
2.22
(56)
3.13
(80)
5.18
(132)
6.83
(173)
7.35
(187)
5.96
(151)
5.17
(131)
53.12
(1,349)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 6.8
(17)
6.5
(17)
6.0
(15)
2.7
(6.9)
0.1
(0.25)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.8
(2.0)
2.0
(5.1)
7.5
(19)
32.4
(82)
Source: WRCC[8]

See also

References

  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Middleton Island
  2. Fussell, E.B. (September 1, 1955). "Army Racing Winter in North". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  3. "Information for Middleton Island AFS, AK". Radomes, Inc. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  4. "U.S.S. Coldbrook-Middleton Island". National Geographic. March 7, 2010. Retrieved July 24, 2016.
  5. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Middleton Island (airport).
  6. FAA Airport Form 5010 for MDO PDF. Federal Aviation Administration. Effective August 25, 2011.
  7. "WSR-88D Radar List (156 sites)" (PDF). National Weather Service. June 27, 2011. Retrieved February 25, 2014.
  8. "MIDDLETON ISLAND, ALASKA (505868)". Western Regional Climate Center. Archived from the original on 2023-05-18. Retrieved July 8, 2022.

59.44°N 146.33°W / 59.44; -146.33


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