UPDATE: Kodiak’s Benny Benson state airport has recorded 14.27 inches of precipitation this month, through 4 p.m. on Dec. 31, which is twice as much as usual. That amount is also the second highest December total in a century of climate observations.
Rick Thoman, a climatologist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy, said on Dec. 30 that the total precipitation at the time was already in the top five wettest Decembers of Kodiak’s roughly 110-year climate history. And there’s more rain coming in the last 48 hours of the month, ahead of the new year.
“This month could wind up as high as the third wettest December in Kodiak climate history over the past century," Thoman said.
The wettest December in Kodiak’s history was in 1985 when 19.82 inches was recorded that month. The vast majority of that precipitation in Kodiak has been rain this month, but these records also include some snow.
During December of 2023 Kodiak saw about 6 inches of precipitation which is closer to the normal. This month was so wet according to Thoman because of an unwavering weather pattern hitting the Gulf of Alaska.
“So that long fetch of mild, moist air from the southeast – ultimately originating west of Vancouver Island, west of Washington state, moving right up over Kodiak Island – that pattern has been so stable this month," he explained. "The result? 25 days with measurable rain this month.”
“Measurable” means at least .01 inches of rain, just enough to wet the ground, Thoman said.
That stable pattern is not likely to change significantly going into 2025. The National Weather Service forecast is calling for more rain likely in Kodiak, Chignik and Akhiok for New Year’s Day and the rest of the week through Friday.
