Record shattering lengthy heat wave in Siberia

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This past weekend, a small Russian town in the Arctic Circle hit a scorching temperature, 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit. While the temperature has to be verified by experts, if it stands, it will be the hottest temperature ever recorded in the Arctic Circle.

The small Russian town of Verkhoyansk is known for its brutally cold winters and is one of the coldest towns on Earth. However, temperatures in recent months have skyrocketed double digits above average temperatures.

The average high temperature in Verkhoyansk in June is 68°F, meaning this record day was over 30 degrees hotter than average. For reference, the coldest month of the year Verkhoyansk is January where the high is, on average, -44°F. Yes, you read that correct, negative 44 degrees Fahrenheit is the average high temperature in January.

Before this record-breaking high temperature, temperatures in Siberia were, on average, 18 degrees higher than normal in May. This past May broke the record for the hottest May since record keeping.

The Arctic Circle, which is defined as anything above 66.5°N latitude, has experienced more extreme warming as a result of climate change than lower latitudes (tropics).

It is well known that the poles warm faster as a result of climate change. For example, the average increase in temperature on Earth over the past 40 years is 1.44°F. In comparison, the Arctic has warmed by more than 3.5°F during the same period, more than double the global average.

"Scott From Scotland
@ScottDuncanWX

We are in a relentless Arctic #heatwave - Siberia is literally on fire right now and it's set to continue.

Temperatures will comfortably exceed + 30 °C within the Arctic Circle over the next 10 days at least. It is a staggering + 20-25 °C warmer than it should be..."


And let's not forget about Scandinavia. Currently we have temperatures widespread high 20s Celsius and in places breaking + 30 °C. This is hotter than large parts of Southern Europe right now.

According to NASA’s research, Earth’s poles warm faster than the rest of the planet because of large-scale energy transport from atmospheric processes. The poles receive their heat from atmospheric and oceanic systems pushing heat from the tropics to the poles. As warming continues, these systems are exacerbated, bringing disproportionally more heat to the poles.

Warming is also increased due to the change in reflectivity (albedo) of the poles. As sea and land ice (which is very reflective) melt and reveal rock and vegetation (which is much less reflective) there is a positive feedback loop that causes the surface to warm, melt more ice, become less reflective, and continue on the cycle of warming.

Thus, those living in high latitude countries (Canada, Russia, Scandinavia, etc.) will experience significantly more warming than those living in low latitude countries (Brazil, Indonesia, Ecuador, etc.).

This dramatic warming of the Arctic up to triple-digit temperatures was not expected to happen until 2100 from climate change. But the reality of warming due to climate change has exceeded expectations as warming, particularly in the poles, has caused record-breaking temperatures in the past decade.

^^^
Caribou Maine looks on a map the farthest North but based on latitude and longitude coordinates.

Northern most part of Minnesota is the northern most spot in the lower 48 states.

He said "the farthest eastern point on the U.S.eastern seaboard

Not "in the contiguous U.S.". Which it is.

But you're right that folks forget that big long part of the US-Canada border that stretches from Minnesota to the Pacific is actually farther north than Maine.