Wrangell rainfall measured 65.7 inches in 2015

The region experienced some weather oddities in 2015, with the tail end of Hurricane Ignacio arriving in September. Across the state, communities logged record warmth on Dec. 30 and 31, capping off what has on average been the warmest year in a decade.

In addition to being the driest on record for Wrangell, last May had also been the warmest with an average temperature of 53.8 degrees. Overall, temperatures remained warmer than usual throughout the year. The highest temperature was 80 degrees on July 6, with a low of 14 recorded on Feb. 7. On average, 2015 middled at around 46 degrees, the warmest mean temperature for any year since 2005.

2015 had a tendency toward wetness as well. Data from the Weather Underground had a total of 65.7 inches falling on Wrangell, or a daily average of 0.18 inches. The most it had rained in a single day was 1.72 inches on Oct. 12, though 1.71 inches were logged for Aug. 28, little more than a week after heavy rainfall contributed to mudslides in Sitka that killed three.

Daily National Weather Service statistics for Wrangell have proven unavailable for 2015. The weather office in Juneau this week learned its instrumentation at Wrangell’s airport has not been logging its readings, though the duration and the reasons have yet to be determined.

The closest available information is from the NWS station in Petersburg, which collected temperature, precipitation and snowfall data for the year.

January had an average temperature of 38 degrees, with record precipitation at 21.05 inches. Another precipitation record was set in April with 12.31 inches logged.

At the opposite end of the spectrum 2015 had the driest May on record with a paltry 0.26 inches of rain. Ordinarily Wrangell Mays see around 5.92 inches, but for 28 days there was no recorded precipitation. Water levels at the reservoir dropped to such an extent that the city briefly directed residents to undertake conservation measures.

The rain returned in June, with the rest of the summer actually running wetter than usual, accumulating 46.53 inches through September. Wet weather contributed to a shortened golfing season, with Muskeg Meadows finishing up in mid-August.