Coldest stretch of air since January returns to Southcentral

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Biting cold air has made a return to Southcentral Alaska, with many locations seeing daily highs nearly 20 degrees below average. This cold stretch comes after much of November has been sitting on the mild side. While we’re currently the 22nd-warmest November on record, the last few days of the month should help us drop several more spots.

A ridge of high pressure settling in across the state is responsible for the bitter cold, with locations along the North Slope experiencing wind chills near 40 below. While the coldest air will remain in Interior Alaska through much of this week, both Southcentral and Southeast Alaska will see below-average temperatures. It’s likely that the coldest day we’ve seen since January will occur Tuesday. Many locations in Southcentral will struggle to break out of the single digits tomorrow, while Southeast sees a return to highs in the teens.

While little to no significant weather will impact the state, we are watching for some high winds to develop through the day for Thompson Pass and Valdez, along with some windy conditions for Palmer and Wasilla. This comes as an upper-level disturbance drops south through the state, leading to increasing winds and even colder conditions in the coming days. Southeast will also see some high winds into Tuesday, where gusts up to 70 mph look likely.

One thing to note is that areas of Western Alaska will see snow in the coming days, as the active weather shifts to our west. Outside of this, we’ll stay dry and sunny for much of this week across Alaska.

Bundle up and stay warm!

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