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Open-File Report 2013–1063

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Air Temperature, Wind Speed, and Wind Direction in the National Petroleum Reserve—Alaska and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 1998–2011

By Frank E. Urban and Gary D. Clow

Piksiksak
GTN-P code: U37
Installation date: 08 AUG 2004
Latitude: 70° 02.197′N
Air temperature install date: 08 AUG 2004
Longitude: 157° 04.882′W
Wind monitor install date: 05 AUG 2005
Elevation: 33 meters above mean sea level

Piksiksak location map Link to the Drew Point site Link to the Drew Point site Link to the Inigok site Link to the Fish Creek site Link to the Awuna1 site Link to the Umiat site Link to the Tunalik site Link to the Koluktak site Link to the South Meade site Link to the Awuna2 site Link to the Piksiksak site Link to the East Teshekpuk site Link to the East Teshekpuk site Link to the Ikpikpuk site Link to the Lake 145 site Link to the Lake 145 site Link to the Niguanak site Link to the Marsh Creek site Link to the Camden Bay site Link to the Red Sheep Creek site
Figure 1. Location map presenting the specific location of the Piksiksak site and its spatial relationship to other sites in the monitoring network. (NPR-A, National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska; ANWR, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge)

Piksiksak site photo during the summer, 2007
Figure 2. Piksiksak station in summer 2007. (Click image for larger version.)

Provisional Data Access (Large file will open in new window)

Figures

[ Click to view a Julian Day Reference Calendar (in new window) ]

Figure showing mean-daily air temperature and wind speed
Figure 3. Piksiksak: Mean-daily air temperature (blue dots, upper panel) and wind speed (red dots, lower panel) calculated using the entire available data record from this site. Also shown is the range of daily variability (vertical lines); mean-daily air temperatures and wind speeds fall within this range 95% of the time. (Click image for larger version.)


Figure showing range of daily variability in air temperature and wind speed
Figure 4. Piksiksak: Range of daily variability in air temperature (upper panel) and wind speed (lower panel) for each day of the year. Mean-daily air temperatures and wind speeds fall within this range 95% of the time. Air temperatures and wind speeds are much more variable during the cold winter season than during the summer. (Click image for larger version.)


Figure showing mean-monthly air temperature and wind speed
Figure 5. Piksiksak: Mean-monthly air temperature (blue dots, upper left panel), and wind speed (red dots, lower left panel) calculated using the entire available data record from this site. Also shown is the range of monthly variability (vertical lines, left panels and vertical bars, right panels); mean-monthly air temperatures and wind speeds fall within this range 95% of the time. (Click image for larger version.)


Figure showing mean seasonal air temperature and wind speed
Figure 6. Piksiksak: Mean seasonal air temperature (blue dots, upper left panel) and wind speed (red dots, lower left panel) calculated using the entire available data record from this site. Also shown is the range of seasonal variability (vertical lines, left panels and vertical bars, right panels); mean seasonal air temperatures and wind speeds fall within this range 95% of the time. (Win, winter; Spr, spring; Sum, summer; Aut, autumn) (Click image for larger version.)


Figure showing seasonal windroses
Figure 7. Piksiksak: Seasonal windroses. The wind direction and speed data are divided into 16 wind direction categories (22.5° each) and 3 wind speed classes: (a) less than 5 m s-1, (b) between 5 m s-1 and 10 m s-1, and (c) greater than 10 m s-1. The percentage of time that wind speeds occupy each class and directional category (concentric rings) is presented for each season, winter (December, January, February), spring (March, April, May), summer (June, July, August), and autumn (September, October, November). (m s-1, meter per second; U, wind speed; N, north; E, east; S, south; W, west;) (Click image for larger version.)


Figure showing seasonal wind speed histogram
Figure 8. Piksiksak: Seasonal wind speed histogram showing the percentage of time that observed winds occupy each wind speed class [(1) less than 5 m s-1, (2) between 5 m s-1 and 10 m s-1, and (3) greater than 10 m s-1] is presented for each season: winter (December, January, February), spring (March, April, May), summer (June, July, August), and autumn (September, October, November). (m s-1, meter per second; U, wind speed) (Click image for larger version.)

Tables

Table 1a. Statistical summaries of provisional air temperature data at monthly resolution—average, minimum, maximum, anomaly, and percentage of data available. Anomalies are calculated relative to the entire available period of record for the given site. 95% of the data must be available in order to calculate statistics. Periods with less than the 95% requirement are represented by NaN (not a number).

Site name:  Piksiksak 
Variable:   Temperature (°C)   
 
Date of preparation:  02-Nov-2012 
Name of preparer:     Frank Urban 
  
Monthly Averages: 
  
 Year    JAN    FEB    MAR    APR    MAY    JUN    JUL    AUG    SEP    OCT    NOV    DEC 
  
 2004    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN   0.33  -6.75 -17.76 -25.20 
 2005 -24.20 -27.70 -23.89 -16.94  -4.64   5.05   8.15   9.05   1.43  -7.74 -22.73 -23.28 
 2006 -27.23 -22.48 -30.14 -20.94  -3.69   7.22   9.17   5.23   4.09  -4.34 -16.87 -20.76 
 2007 -28.46 -25.92 -28.58 -14.28  -7.64   7.87  12.43  10.04   3.48  -8.29 -14.13 -21.68 
 2008 -30.61 -29.22 -30.11 -12.85  -3.65   8.70  10.47   4.35   0.02  -7.89 -17.58 -18.13 
 2009 -27.78 -27.07 -31.45 -14.92  -1.31   6.95  12.35   6.78   0.84  -5.34 -21.53 -21.74 
 2010 -28.95 -26.21 -26.54 -12.34  -5.98   5.99  10.17   8.98   4.07  -7.10 -11.67 -25.18 
 2011 -23.56 -19.77 -20.13 -20.62  -4.30   5.61  10.20   7.59   2.42  -6.17 -22.98 -26.49 
 2012 -32.95 -25.54 -33.62 -17.03  -5.10   8.03  12.31    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN 
  
  
Minimum Value Each Month: 
  
 Year    JAN    FEB    MAR    APR    MAY    JUN    JUL    AUG    SEP    OCT    NOV    DEC 
  
 2004    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN  -8.92 -23.11 -33.60 -39.67 
 2005 -40.60 -39.58 -38.88 -33.18 -12.79  -3.85  -0.72  -2.89  -5.41 -25.42 -39.38 -39.87 
 2006 -41.22 -46.10 -41.26 -34.57 -25.27  -5.98  -0.44  -3.70  -3.91 -14.84 -32.54 -40.94 
 2007 -43.07 -44.54 -42.31 -25.69 -22.88  -2.61   2.79  -0.93  -6.71 -21.75 -28.60 -43.47 
 2008 -45.73 -42.35 -43.75 -31.77 -16.20  -4.89  -0.32  -5.41  -9.71 -19.28 -30.65 -32.45 
 2009 -39.77 -43.75 -41.90 -30.98 -14.00  -1.03   1.77  -2.34 -10.84 -21.76 -37.51 -41.76 
 2010 -45.50 -44.20 -44.54 -29.27 -21.99  -1.11  -0.46  -0.81  -8.99 -18.71 -27.22 -45.37 
 2011 -44.97 -33.74 -37.25 -34.85 -21.70  -3.52   2.24  -1.12  -5.44 -23.49 -41.58 -38.54 
 2012 -47.71 -48.39 -43.11 -37.05 -25.36  -1.42   1.38    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN 
  
  
Maximum Value Each Month: 
  
 Year    JAN    FEB    MAR    APR    MAY    JUN    JUL    AUG    SEP    OCT    NOV    DEC 
  
 2004    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN  12.70   1.92  -1.09  -3.63 
 2005   1.49  -5.16  -1.15   5.26   1.34  21.37  20.91  24.83  12.93   3.35  -8.04  -7.39 
 2006 -16.21   3.51 -21.55 -10.08   8.82  19.14  25.27  17.55  18.70   5.04  -0.25  -1.92 
 2007  -4.02   1.57  -5.11  -2.93   2.88  19.29  25.80  23.10  18.79  -0.50  -5.43  -1.78 
 2008   2.03  -3.13  -5.07   3.37   9.21  20.87  28.52  14.79   7.88  -0.81  -7.88  -1.11 
 2009  -1.55  -2.35 -16.01   5.44  14.18  16.33  29.47  19.26  19.52   7.06  -8.46  -0.92 
 2010  -9.70 -15.10 -11.25   0.69   4.31  23.26  23.85  24.71  18.90  -0.17   2.05  -6.83 
 2011   0.88  -0.86  -3.89  -5.44  10.13  23.72  22.51  18.20  15.11   2.48  -2.64  -5.93 
 2012 -13.10  -2.40 -16.85  -7.70   7.27  24.51  24.27    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN 
  
  
Anomaly Relative to the Climatological Mean: 
  
 Year    JAN    FEB    MAR    APR    MAY    JUN    JUL    AUG    SEP    OCT    NOV    DEC 
  
 2004    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN  -1.76  -0.04   0.40  -2.40 
 2005   3.77  -2.21   4.16  -0.70  -0.10  -1.87  -2.51   1.62  -0.65  -1.03  -4.57  -0.47 
 2006   0.74   3.01  -2.08  -4.70   0.85   0.29  -1.49  -2.20   2.00   2.36   1.29   2.05 
 2007  -0.49  -0.43  -0.52   1.96  -3.10   0.94   1.77   2.61   1.40  -1.59   4.02   1.12 
 2008  -2.65  -3.73  -2.06   3.39   0.89   1.77  -0.18  -3.08  -2.06  -1.19   0.58   4.68 
 2009   0.18  -1.58  -3.39   1.32   3.23   0.02   1.69  -0.65  -1.25   1.36  -3.38   1.07 
 2010  -0.98  -0.72   1.52   3.90  -1.44  -0.94  -0.49   1.55   1.99  -0.39   6.49  -2.37 
 2011   4.41   5.72   7.93  -4.38   0.24  -1.32  -0.45   0.16   0.33   0.53  -4.82  -3.68 
 2012  -4.98  -0.06  -5.56  -0.79  -0.56   1.10   1.65    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN 
  
  
Percent of Data Available during Each Month: 
  
 Year    JAN    FEB    MAR    APR    MAY    JUN    JUL    AUG    SEP    OCT    NOV    DEC 
  
 2004   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 
 2005 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00  99.87 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 
 2006 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 
 2007 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00  99.87 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 
 2008 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 
 2009 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 
 2010 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 
 2011 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 
 2012 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00


Table 1b. Statistical summaries of provisional wind speed data at monthly resolution—average, maximum, and percentage of data available. 95% of the data must be available in order to calculate statistics. Periods with less than the 95% requirement are represented by NaN (not a number).

Site name:  Piksiksak 
Variable:   Wind Speed (m s-1)   

Date of preparation:  02-Nov-2012 
Name of preparer:     Frank Urban 
  
Monthly Averages: 
  
 Year    JAN    FEB    MAR    APR    MAY    JUN    JUL    AUG    SEP    OCT    NOV    DEC 
  
 2004    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN 
 2005    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN   4.65   3.70    NaN    NaN 
 2006    NaN    NaN    NaN   3.67   4.05   3.79   3.75   3.08   2.81   4.11    NaN    NaN 
 2007    NaN    NaN    NaN   4.07   4.14   4.33   3.61   3.06   3.48    NaN    NaN    NaN 
 2008   3.41   2.96    NaN   3.61   5.15   3.17   3.47   3.21   2.91   3.51    NaN   3.90 
 2009   3.88   4.89    NaN   3.85   3.85   4.55   3.88   3.65   3.44   3.64    NaN    NaN 
 2010   3.04   5.28    NaN   3.67   5.17   4.92   3.51   3.74   3.22   4.19    NaN   3.36 
 2011    NaN   6.23   2.94   4.12   3.41   4.90   3.49   3.35   3.95   4.11   2.86   3.52 
 2012    NaN    NaN    NaN   4.02   3.81   4.15   3.19    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN 
  
  
Maximum Value Each Month: 
  
 Year    JAN    FEB    MAR    APR    MAY    JUN    JUL    AUG    SEP    OCT    NOV    DEC 
  
 2004    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN 
 2005    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN   8.84  10.54    NaN    NaN 
 2006    NaN    NaN    NaN  10.94   9.91   8.25   9.48   7.99   8.07  14.68    NaN    NaN 
 2007    NaN    NaN    NaN  10.77  10.70   9.48   7.69   8.69   7.63    NaN    NaN    NaN 
 2008  17.50   9.69    NaN  10.41  11.26   7.51  10.54   7.78   7.73  10.83    NaN  18.02 
 2009  12.86  15.78    NaN  10.38  10.62   8.58   8.73   8.67   9.72  12.50    NaN    NaN 
 2010   9.79  14.73    NaN  10.69  12.00   9.58   8.53  11.03   6.83  12.10    NaN  10.44 
 2011    NaN  21.25  10.12  11.08   8.29   9.96   7.66   6.67   8.46  12.81  10.48  13.69 
 2012    NaN    NaN    NaN  10.24   8.77   9.95   7.99    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN 
  
  
Percent of Data Available during Each Month: 
  
 Year    JAN    FEB    MAR    APR    MAY    JUN    JUL    AUG    SEP    OCT    NOV    DEC 
  
 2004   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00 
 2005   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00  85.62 100.00 100.00  86.11  83.33 
 2006   5.51  73.51  64.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00  89.31  78.49 
 2007  90.99  69.64  52.02 100.00 100.00 100.00  99.87 100.00 100.00  88.58  66.11  73.12 
 2008  99.06  97.70  39.92 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00  97.58  87.36 100.00 
 2009  99.19 100.00  44.62 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00  95.03  72.36  63.84 
 2010  99.19 100.00  82.66 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00  81.53 100.00 
 2011  84.54  98.66 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00  98.19  98.79 
 2012  59.68  28.16  94.89 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00


Table 2a. Statistical summaries of provisional air temperature data at seasonal and annual resolution—average, minimum, maximum, anomaly, and percentage of data available. Anomalies are calculated relative to the entire available period of record for the given site. 95% of the data must be available in order to calculate statistics. Periods with less than the 95% requirement are represented by NaN (not a number).

Site name:  Piksiksak 
Variable:   Temperature (°C)   

Date of preparation:  02-Nov-2012 
Name of preparer:     Frank Urban 
  
Seasonal/Annual Averages: 
  
 Year WINTER SPRING SUMMER AUTUMN ANNUAL 
  
 2004    NaN    NaN    NaN  -8.04    NaN 
 2005 -25.63 -15.14   7.44  -9.66 -10.51 
 2006 -24.39 -18.23   7.20  -5.69 -10.00 
 2007 -25.02 -16.86  10.14  -6.33  -9.52 
 2008 -27.13 -15.57   7.83  -8.48 -10.50 
 2009 -24.24 -15.90   8.71  -8.64 -10.25 
 2010 -25.61 -14.98   8.40  -4.92  -9.49 
 2011 -22.94 -14.95   7.82  -8.88  -9.78 
 2012 -28.39 -18.60    NaN    NaN    NaN 
  
  
Minimum Value Each Season/Year: 
  
 Year WINTER SPRING SUMMER AUTUMN ANNUAL 
  
 2004    NaN    NaN    NaN -33.60    NaN 
 2005 -40.60 -38.88  -3.85 -39.38 -40.60 
 2006 -46.10 -41.26  -5.98 -32.54 -46.10 
 2007 -44.54 -42.31  -2.61 -28.60 -44.54 
 2008 -45.73 -43.75  -5.41 -30.65 -45.73 
 2009 -43.75 -41.90  -2.34 -37.51 -43.75 
 2010 -45.50 -44.54  -1.11 -27.22 -45.50 
 2011 -45.37 -37.25  -3.52 -41.58 -44.97 
 2012 -48.39 -43.11    NaN    NaN    NaN 
  
  
Maximum Value Each Season/Year: 
  
 Year WINTER SPRING SUMMER AUTUMN ANNUAL 
  
 2004    NaN    NaN    NaN  12.70    NaN 
 2005   1.49   5.26  24.83  12.93  24.83 
 2006   3.51   8.82  25.27  18.70  25.27 
 2007   1.57   2.88  25.80  18.79  25.80 
 2008   2.03   9.21  28.52   7.88  28.52 
 2009  -1.11  14.18  29.47  19.52  29.47 
 2010  -0.92   4.31  24.71  18.90  24.71 
 2011   0.88  10.13  23.72  15.11  23.72 
 2012  -2.40   7.27    NaN    NaN    NaN 
  
  
Anomaly Relative to the Climatological Mean: 
  
 Year WINTER SPRING SUMMER AUTUMN ANNUAL 
  
 2004    NaN    NaN    NaN  -0.46    NaN 
 2005  -0.22   1.14  -0.78  -2.08  -0.50 
 2006   1.03  -1.95  -1.02   1.89   0.01 
 2007   0.40  -0.58   1.91   1.25   0.48 
 2008  -1.71   0.71  -0.39  -0.90  -0.49 
 2009   1.18   0.38   0.49  -1.06  -0.24 
 2010  -0.20   1.30   0.18   2.66   0.51 
 2011   2.48   1.32  -0.40  -1.30   0.23 
 2012  -2.97  -2.32    NaN    NaN    NaN 
  
  
Percent of Data Available during Each Season/Year: 
  
 Year WINTER SPRING SUMMER AUTUMN ANNUAL 
  
 2004   0.00   0.00   0.00 100.00   0.00 
 2005 100.00 100.00  99.95 100.00   1.00 
 2006 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00   1.00 
 2007 100.00 100.00  99.95 100.00   1.00 
 2008 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00   1.00 
 2009 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00   1.00 
 2010 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00   1.00 
 2011 100.00 100.00 100.00 100.00   1.00 
 2012 100.00 100.00   0.00   0.00   0.00


Table 2b. Statistical summaries of provisional wind speed data at seasonal and annual resolution—average, maximum, and percentage of data available. 95% of the data must be available in order to calculate statistics. Periods with less than the 95% requirement are represented by NaN (not a number).

Site name:  Piksiksak 
Variable:   Wind Speed (m s-1)   

Date of preparation:  02-Nov-2012 
Name of preparer:     Frank Urban 
  
Seasonal/Annual Averages: 
  
 Year WINTER SPRING SUMMER AUTUMN ANNUAL 
  
 2004    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN 
 2005    NaN    NaN    NaN   3.45    NaN 
 2006    NaN    NaN   3.54   3.30    NaN 
 2007    NaN    NaN   3.66    NaN    NaN 
 2008    NaN    NaN   3.29   3.48    NaN 
 2009   4.20    NaN   4.02    NaN    NaN 
 2010    NaN    NaN   4.05    NaN   3.84 
 2011    NaN   3.48   3.90   3.65   3.80 
 2012    NaN   3.54    NaN    NaN    NaN 
  
  
Maximum Hourly Average Value for Each Season/Year: 
  
 Year WINTER SPRING SUMMER AUTUMN ANNUAL 
  
 2004    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN    NaN 
 2005    NaN    NaN    NaN  10.54    NaN 
 2006    NaN    NaN   9.48  14.68    NaN 
 2007    NaN    NaN   9.48    NaN    NaN 
 2008    NaN    NaN  10.54  10.85    NaN 
 2009  18.02    NaN   8.73    NaN    NaN 
 2010    NaN    NaN  11.03    NaN  15.43 
 2011    NaN  11.08   9.96  12.81  21.25 
 2012    NaN  10.24    NaN    NaN    NaN 
  
  
Percent of Data Available during Each Season/Year: 
  
 Year WINTER SPRING SUMMER AUTUMN ANNUAL 
  
 2004   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00   0.00 
 2005   0.00   0.00  28.85  95.42   0.38 
 2006  53.47  88.18 100.00  96.47   0.84 
 2007  80.05  83.83  99.95  84.94   0.87 
 2008  89.79  79.76 100.00  95.01   0.93 
 2009  99.72  81.34 100.00  89.19   0.89 
 2010  87.27  94.16 100.00  93.91   0.97 
 2011  94.26 100.00 100.00  99.40   0.98 
 2012  62.96  98.28   0.00   0.00   0.00

 


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U.S. Geological Survey
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