The Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
Climate Observer

An Early Fire Season The south slopes of Turnagain Arm are great for early-season hiking. Sun warmed and snow free, spring here can be weeks ahead. So can the fire season. In April, I hiked the McHugh Lake Trail to watch Dall sheep grazing on the lower slopes. While the first green shoots brightened the hills, blackened trunks of spruce and birch lined the trail. It’s been ten years since the McHugh Fire. Over the course of a week it burned some 600 acres, closed the Seward Highway, and threatened South Anchorage. That was in July. These days, it could just have easily been in April, or March. Hiking up the valley I thought about the changing seasons, and the many fires that have already occurred around the north this year. One of the first serious fires was in early February. Norway had been unusually cold and dry with several small fires already occurring. On February 7th high winds drove a fast-moving fire in Oksvoll, near Trondheim. Farmers mobilized to protect their homes, build fire breaks and move livestock. Several homes were evacuated. Since February the news has been full of similar stories, fires at times and in places that were once too snowy or too wet. In April there were stories from Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Finland, Russia, and Canada. Looking at the event archive in LEO Network, there has been 52 spring wildfire stories above 54 degrees North latitude since 2014. We noticed an increase in these stories beginning in about 2018, particularly during the months of March and April. In this edition you can read about some of the wildfires this April, in Finland and the Yukon Territory. To view status in real time, and for a complete record of wildfire events, see Firemap, a web resource by NASA. Alaska currently has the distinction of most active fires in the circumpolar north. Hopefully, spring will delivers only normal fire conditions in the days ahead. Mike Brubaker, Editor

	Winter in Fairbanks was coldest on record Fairbanks, Alaska, United States Tim Ellis / KUAC.org / April 1, 2026 The National Weather Service confirmed that Fairbanks experienced its coldest winter on record, with December–March averaging 13.6°F below zero. A persistent high-pressure ridge over the Bering Sea helped trap Arctic air over Alaska’s Interior for months. Read article on KUAC.org
	Record-Early Thaw Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway Tare Reklev Øverbø / Svalbardposten / April 1, 2026 Meteorologists in Longyearbyen, Svalbard report that ground temperature at 20 cm depth reached 0°C already in April, exceeding all measurements since 1998. Snow is disappearing rapidly from Adventdalen. Read article on Svalbardposten
	"The water reservoir is almost empty; it is running out" Úthlíð, Bláskógabyggð, Iceland Lovísa Arnardóttir / Vísir / April 4, 2026 A summer-cottage area in Úthlíð, Bláskógabyggð has been without water for several days because the local water reservoir is nearly empty after an unusually dry winter. Residents and holiday renters were asked to strictly conserve cold water and avoid filling hot tubs. Read article on Vísir
	Record-warm March hits Sami reindeer herders: “Our new reality” Lillhärdal, Härjedalen, Sweden Fredrik Israelsson / SVT Nyheter / April 4, 2026 Sweden has recorded its warmest March on record, and in northern Sweden snow has melted early and ice has weakened, disrupting Sami reindeer herding. Herders report reindeer spreading over large areas and increased danger during moves due to unsafe ice. Read article on SVT Nyheter
	16 sled dogs have died from a contagious disease Kuummiut, Sermersooq, Greenland Emil Weis / KNR / April 1, 2026 In Kuummiut, East Greenland, 16 sled dogs have died from a suspected parvovirus outbreak, and five additional dogs showing symptoms were euthanized. Authorities have begun vaccination and containment efforts and say they do not expect the disease to spread beyond Kuummiut. Read article on KNR
	Rabies Quarantine Declared in the Settlement of Karaul Karaul, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia Maria Sokolova / Taimyrsky Telegraf / April 7, 2026 Authorities introduced a rabies quarantine in the settlement of Karaul after a confirmed case, with restrictions in place through 25 May 2026. Veterinary officials warned residents about typical rabies signs in wild and domestic animals and urged people to avoid contact and seek medical care after any bite. Read article on Taimyrsky Telegraf
	Nome red fox tests positive for avian flu Nome, Alaska, United States Ariana Crockett O'Harra / The Nome Nugget / April 9, 2026 A red fox struck by a vehicle near Nome, Alaska tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1), the first detected case on the Seward Peninsula in about six months. Alaska wildlife officials urged caution during spring migration and advised residents not to handle or eat sick or dead wildlife. Read article on The Nome Nugget
	Spring feeling across much of Norway – mildest April in Tromsø since 1930 Tromsø, Troms, Norway Julianne Mossing / NRK / April 13, 2026 NRK reports that Tromsø has had its mildest start to April in nearly 100 years, with springlike weather continuing across Northern and parts of Central Norway. Southern Norway is expected to be more changeable, with heavy rain in Agder and winter conditions persisting in mountain areas. Read article on NRK
	Lapland rescue services allow river island wildfire to burn itself out Karunki, Lapland, Finland Yle News / April 11, 2026 A wildfire burned across an uninhabited grassy river island in the Tornio River near Karunki, just north of Tornio in Finnish Lapland. Rescue services monitored the blaze but did not extinguish it, while wildfire warnings remained in effect across much of Finland. Read article on Yle News
	Mass die-off among small birds after 'blue tit disease' Sweden (nationwide), Sweden Jonathan Norberg; Mattias Kjellman / SVT Nyheter / April 17, 2026 Reports of sick and dead small birds in Sweden have increased sharply since February 2026, with blue tits particularly affected by a newly identified illness known as “blue tit disease.” Sweden’s National Veterinary Institute (SVA) urges people to stop feeding birds to reduce transmission at bird feeders. Read article on SVT Nyheter
	Pollen Explosion Oslo, Oslo, Norway Siv Kristin Sællmann / NRK / April 21, 2026 A sudden shift to warm spring temperatures in Norway has triggered a rapid release of stored pollen, worsening allergy symptoms and driving a sharp rise in sales of allergy medicines. Read article on NRK
	“Zombie fire” from 2025 becomes Yukon’s first official wildfire of 2026 Aishihik Lake area, Yukon, Canada Noah Korver / Yukon News / April 9, 2026 Yukon’s first recorded wildfire of 2026 was detected east of Aishihik Lake and is believed to be a holdover (“zombie”) fire from 2025. Yukon Wildfire is monitoring the one-hectare blaze, currently classified as being held, rather than actively suppressing it. Read article on Yukon News

The Northern Climate Observer is published by the Center for Climate and Health. We track news coverage from across the circumpolar north and provide readers with a curated roundup of climate change related events. Thank you for reading our newsletter and for paying attention to our changing world.

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Northern Climate Observer

The Northern Climate Observer is published by the Center for Climate and Health. We track news from across the circumpolar north and provide readers with a curated roundup of climate-change related events.

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Northern Climate Observer

The Northern
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