Have you guys been in Alaska long? I read that the winter temperature in your state has risen 5-6 degrees since 1949. Have you noticed any overall changes?
Notice the round number chosen for the start of the trend? AK weather is influenced by the "Decadal Oscillation" which is the average temperature swings in water temp of the Gulf of AK. Right now we are well into a warming swing... It should last another 3-23 years though there is a looming trend of very low sun spot activity which would indicate a huge cooling coming.
I was not here in 49, but made it 15 years later. Looking back at the Decadal Oscillation it correlates perfectly with weather patterns over that time frame though there is a good question about cause and effect...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacific_decadal_oscillation
