An arctic scene comes to mind for most when mentioning Alaska during the winter months. This is more than often the case, but not this year. Alaska is breaking records not in snowfall, but in temperatures. Alaska’s three largest cities, as of now, are either breaking the record or are close to the record for the warmest December ever recorded.
The first two weeks of December have been exceptionally mild over most of #Alaska, with many communities having the warmest or second warmest start to the month. The north Gulf of Alaska coast has seen very heavy rain and mountain snows. #akwx pic.twitter.com/g4XlSnWIXF
— NWS Alaska Region (@NWSAlaska) December 15, 2017
A daily record high occurred at #Anchorage Int'l Airport today: 46 degrees breaks the previous record of 45 degrees set in 1967. #AKwx
— NWS Anchorage (@NWSAnchorage) December 14, 2017
As of 1 PM the temperature at the Fairbanks airport was 40°F (just two degrees shy of the record for today that was set in 1967). #akwx
— NWS Fairbanks (@NWSFairbanks) December 13, 2017
Despite the unusual warmth The Last Frontier State has seen, a lack in snowfall hasn’t been the case. Most of the winter systems we’ve seen this month have come from the Gulf of Alaska. With these storms moving from the south to the north, it allows much warmer air to funnel into the state.
Snow remains in the forecast for a good portion of the western coastline to start the week. The only difference in this next system is that it’s coming in from the Bering Sea. Blizzard and Winter Storm Warnings are in effect for a good portion of the western regions of the state lasting through Monday and Tuesday morning. Despite the chance for snow, temperatures will yet again remain on the warm side, at least for Alaska standards.
For WeatherNation – Josh Cozart