Temperature Milestone for Fairbanks, Alaska

You did it, Fairbanks!  The central Alaska city---approximately 140 miles south of the Arctic Circle---reached a temperature of 70 degrees for the first time in 2018 on Wednesday.  It had been just over 8 months since the last time Fairbanks experienced a 70 degree temperature! https://twitter.com/NWSFairbanks/status/994372853696024578 What is interesting is that the day before---Tuesday---Fairbanks broke the 60-degree mark for the first time this year. https://twitter.com/NWSFairbanks/status/993995601556721664 Looking ahead, temperatures are expected to rise a few degrees more on Thursday.  Highs will top out near 75 degrees in Fairbanks. The average high temperature in early May in Fairbanks is in the upper 50s.  It's also not uncommon for the city to reach 70 degrees during the month of May.  In fact, the hottest temperature ever observed in Fairbanks in May was 90 degrees in 1947! With more daylight and warmer temperatures, the Interior Alaska snowpack will continue to melt.  River flooding will be a concern throughout the month. https://twitter.com/NWSFairbanks/status/994061159316754436 Above average temperatures are also impacting other parts of the United States.  Follow WeatherNation on air and online as we track the building heat across the Lower 48. -Meteorologist Joe Astolfi