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The LEO Network is a worldwide network of observers and experts that share their observations of environmental change.
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Observations

Snow’s notable absence and welcome (and sometimes weird) presence
UAF Geophysical Institute space physicist Peter Delamere recently rode his fat-tire bike over frozen vegetation south of the Alaska Range until his tires finally bit snow a bit farther north.
Knik, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Hatcher Pass Road still closed by avalanches that will take days to clear
Multiple avalanches have closed Hatcher Pass Road in Alaska due to heavy wet snowfall, with officials forecasting several days of clearance work.
Hatcher Pass, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Hatcher Pass Road closed at mile 14 due to high avalanche danger
Hatcher Pass Road is closed at mile 14 due to high avalanche danger from heavy wet snow, with closures expected to last into the weekend, affecting snowmachining trails and Hatcher Pass Lodge.
Hatcher Pass, Alaska, United States
Alaska's News Source

Houston man injured in moose trampling outside his home
A Houston man was injured by a moose near his home, an unusual event linked to increased moose aggression due to harsh winter conditions.
Houston, Alaska, United States
Anchorage Daily News

Mat-Su schools closed Tuesday after blizzard hits power lines, highways
Mat-Su schools will be closed Tuesday due to a blizzard causing power outages and hazardous driving conditions.
Matanuska Valley, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Chris Klint, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

Monday storm again closes Anchorage, Mat-Su schools and state offices
A winter storm in Anchorage and Mat-Su, Alaska has caused closures of state offices, schools, and bus services, with reports of stranded vehicles and accidents, and up to a foot of snow expected in some areas.
Matanuska Valley, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Chris Klint, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

Moose with lesions on hind leg
The hind of the moose was also covered with flies.
Willow, Alaska, United States
Sarah Yoder, Kimberlee Beckmen, Mike Brubaker

Cold, wet weather delays lucrative peony harvest in Southcentral Alaska
Alaska is one of the only places in the world where peony flowers grow in the summer months. But the unusually cold, wet weather this year is delaying the blooms by weeks.
Willow, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Tim Rockey, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

Mat-Su flooding closes roads, threatens homes after deluge soaks Talkeetna Mountains
August 9, 2022 Borough officials said multiple roads were closed Tuesday and more were being monitored after several days of rain.
Houston, Alaska, United States

Large number of flies in our home
"We had never before observed a species of the order Diptera, aside from the mosquitos present every year. Around the middle of September this year, however, there was a large influx of houseflies into our home."
Wasilla, Alaska, United States

Hatcher Pass road likely closed all week due to avalanche danger
The Hatcher Pass Road has been closed since April 3 and will likely remain closed by the Department of Transportation and Public Facilities until at least April
Fishhook, Alaska, United States
Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman

Avalanche closes road to Hatcher Pass
Class 2 avalanche in Hatcher Pass closed down a section of the road between Mile 14 and 16. The nonprofit Hatcher Pass Avalanche Center warned that conditions in the area were dangerous and asked that people avoid the Archangel Road trail nearby.
Hatcher Pass, Alaska, United States

Late Blooming Willow (genus Salix)
Wasilla, Alaska, United States

Alaska Grown Black Walnuts
The unthinkable (ripe Alaska walnuts) a few decades ago is potentially our new reality as our climate continues to shift (warmer summers and longer falls). As our climatic parameters shift, so does our opportunity to diversify our edible plantings!
Peter's Creek
Facebook - Alaska Home Gardeners Group

A Lily (genus Lilium) is Blooming in My Garden
Late-blooming lily may benefit from warm temperatures in late September/early October.
Palmer, Alaska

Late Blooming Rose
A wild rose (*Rosa acicularis*) blooms late during a warm fall.
Willow, Alaska, United States

Northern Shrike (Lanius borealis) in Wasilla
Unusual winter sighting of a northern shrike (*Lanius borealis*) could become more common as temperatures rise.
Knik-Fairview, Alaska, United States

Mat-Su declares disaster after Willow Creek flooding forces evacuations, closes bridge
Flooding on Willow Creek Saturday night and Sunday has led to seven families being evacuated, with five people taking shelter at the Willow Community Center. The Willow Fire Department, Mat-Su Animal Care and the Mat-Su Water Rescue Team organized to assist those impacted by the flood.

More than a dozen homes evacuated due to Willow Creek flooding; Mat-Su officials say bridge could be closed for days
The flooding started when large chunks of ice jammed at Deneki bridge, according to an advisory issued by the National Weather Service.

Narcissus (Anemone narcissiflora) Blooming in Fall
*Anemone narcissiflora*, which typically blooms in June, is experiencing a second bloom in Hatcher Pass.
Hatcher Pass, Alaska

Record heat has Susitna Valley silver salmon in hot - and low - water
Two popular rivers are being closed to fishing because almost no cohos are making it upstream.

Wildfire along Parks Highway burns at least 50 structures
The highway remained closed north of Willow after the fire jumped the road Sunday, authorities said. The fire started Saturday afternoon when wind blew a tree onto a power line.

Wasilla store contends with ‘large-scale’ rodent problem
Fred Meyer is employing an aggressive pest-control plan after customers spotted mice in the store through Southcentral Alaska’s unusually warm summer.
Wasilla, Alaska, United States

Summer heat accelerates Alaska peony harvest
On another year, Christy might just now be finishing up the harvest. But today, the only flowers left from this season are stored in a walk-in cooler.

Alaska salmon stream hits high temperature during heat wave
The science director for Cook Inletkeeper, a nonprofit organization that monitors the health of Cook Inlet, wrote a paper two years ago on what salmon streams might be like in the future with climate change.
The Seattle Times

Invasive elodea prompts closure of Susitna Valley lakes
Elodea was discovered in Alexander Lake in 2014 by researchers checking minnow traps. At the time, it covered 20 percent of the lake but now has spread to 90 percent.
Alaska Journal of Commerce

Early Spring Sandhill Crane (Antigone canadensis) Arrival
Meadow Lakes, Alaska, United States

Spruce bark beetle damage shuts down 2 popular Alaska campgrounds
The closures of the campgrounds, facing the threat of falling trees, likely will last through summer, the state parks division said.
Fishhook, Alaska, United States

After 6 days, still no trace of couple who went missing at Big Lake
Hundreds of people have combed the terrain near Big Lake, but there’s still no sign of LaVerne and Van Pettigen.
Big Lake, Alaska, United States

Beetle damage skyrockets to nearly 1 million acres in Southcentral Alaska
The latest tally of beetle kill shows more than 550,000 acres of forest with dead spruce from the ongoing infestation this year alone, much of it in Mat-Su.
Knik-Fairview, Alaska, United States

Alaska restricts king salmon fishing in Susitna, Little Su and upper Inlet
Fishing businesses in Mat-Su warned that the rules could hurt the state's tourism economy.
Knik-Fairview, Alaska, United States

Unidentified Jay
Unidentified Jay sighted in southcentral Alaska, early December.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Ask a Climatologist: Why do some lakes freeze faster than others?
One important factor is the depth of the lake. But there are other variables too.
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Annie Feidt, Alaska's Energy Desk - Anchorage

Alaska’s farming future is warmer, and probably weirder
The state's small farms are booming amid longer growing seasons and thriving farmers markets. But climate change has also made for less predictable weather.
Palmer, Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

Funnel Cloud Spotted Near Flathorn Lake
Funnel cloud photographed from the air while flying near Flathorn Lake
Lower Susitna River Drainage, Alaska, United States

Pintail ducks (Anas acuta) early
Norther pintails observered early in the Mat-Su Valley near the Glenn Highway-Parks Highway overpass.
Gateway, Alaska, United States

Miserable stretches of trail prompt Iditarod to move race start to Fairbanks
For the second time in three years, the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race will move its official start from Willow to Fairbanks due to poor trail conditions that race officials determined unsafe.
Alaska Dispatch News

Visible Hue to Air - Smoke.. Smog... Silt..?
Hazy air conditions in the Mat-Su Valley, southcentral Alaska.

Unusual Wasp (Dolichovespula maculata)
Interesting wasp is black with neon stripes

Early Mushrooms
Weeks earlier than normal.

First Mosquitoe (Culicidae) of Spring
An early season?
Palmer, Alaska, United States

Sure Has Been A Warm Winter
It was a very warm week of the 25th of January, on my way home it started raining pretty heavy, mind you, no snow, but rain. I was expecting maybe some wet snow, but it was not to be...

Dead Humpback (Megaptera novaeangliae) Near Birchwood
I was flying on Monday and found a giant beached dead humpback whale up on the mudflats near Birchwood. I see belugas all the time but never a humpback.
Eagle River, Alaska, United States

Wildfire
Sockeye wildfire at mile post 77 of the George Parks Highway near Willow.

Unusual Caterpillar
9-10-14 Unusual caterpillar - Big Lake, Alaska, USA
Big Lake, Alaska, United States

Summer Snow
7-27-14 Summer snow - Wasilla, Alaska, USA

Dry April triggers fire warnings in Anchorage
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Windy, No Snow
2-17-14 Windy, no snow - Wasilla, Alaska, USA

Birch Shieldbug (Elasmostethus interstinctus) in November?
Birch shieldbug found in Wasilla home in November.

Extreme Rain & Flooding
9-21-12 Extreme rain and flooding - Wasilla, Alaska, USA

With no dam to stop it, the Eklutna River is temporarily reborn. Many people hope to keep it alive for good.
Conservation and tribal groups in 2018 removed a downstream dam in the river northeast of Anchorage. But an upriver dam provides the cheapest energy in Southcentral Alaska. For people from the Native Village of Eklutna the river’s rebirth was an important moment. They want the 12-mile-long waterway permanently restored, along with the salmon their late elders once described as abundant.

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