Anchorage, Alaska, Smashes All-Time Record on Fourth of July With Its First-Ever 90-Degree High

A high of 90 degrees was recorded at Anchorage International Airport for the first time ever last Thursday, crushing the previous all-time record of 85 degrees set over 50 years ago, on June 14, 1969.

Merrill Field, east of downtown Anchorage, also reached 90 degrees for the first time in records dating to 1943. According to Anchorage resident and climatologist Dr. Brian Brettschneider, all of the city's weather reporting stations tied or set their all-time record highs on July 4.

It was hotter in Anchorage on July 4 than both Key West, Florida, and Little Rock, Arkansas.

All-time records were also set July 4 in King Salmon – a village about 285 miles southwest of Anchorage – and Kenai Municipal Airport – about 65 miles southwest of Anchorage – both soaring to 89 degrees. Palmer tied its all-time record from May 27, 2011, according to the National Weather Service.

As you might imagine, in a city where the average July 4 high is only 65 degrees, this record heat sent folks in Anchorage flocking to area beaches, to the mountains and lining up for refreshments.

Sunday was the second-hottest day of this heat wave in Anchorage, with a high temperature of 85 degrees.

Monday was the sixth-consecutive day with a high temperature of 80 degrees or hotter in the city.

Only once since 1953 had Anchorage experienced as many as four 80-degree days in a single year (in 2015). Through Monday, Anchorage had seen seven days this year with temperatures of 80 degrees or hotter.

Statewide, Sunday was likely the hottest day on record in Alaska, a record that had just been set on Saturday, one day earlier.

Forecast: Heat Eases Up

The strong dome of high pressure aloft responsible for the heat wave will begin to break down by midweek.

After much above-average temperatures on Monday, they will steadily decrease throughout the week ahead.

Highs in Anchorage are expected to hold in the mid-70s on Tuesday, then top out around 70 degrees for the remainder of the week.

Alaska Fires: An Unexpected Side Effect

The exceptional heat will combine with dry conditions to make any fires worse and increase the risk of new ones.

There are over 30 large fires burning in Alaska, including the Swan Lake fire burning on the Kenai Peninsula southwest of Anchorage, which has occasionally pumped smoke across the city in recent days.

(MORE: Dozens of Fires Leave Areas Shrouded in Smoke)

Last Tuesday (July 2), a brush fire on the city's eastern side prompted brief evacuations.

Latest In a String of Warm Records

This historic heat wave is only the latest chapter in a long saga of Alaskan warmth.

June was both the warmest and driest on record in Anchorage, according to the National Weather Service, continuing a warm June trend this decade.

Kotzebue, Talkeetna and Yakutat also had their record-warmest June, according to Rick Thoman, climate science and services manager for the National Weather Service Alaska region.

Northway, near the border with Canada's Yukon Territory, about 280 miles northeast of Anchorage, topped its all-time record high last Sunday (June 30), reaching 92 degrees.

Juneau had its warmest five-day period in 83 years, according to Brettschneider, including three days with highs in the 80s.

A few days earlier, Utqiagvik, formerly known as Barrow, set its new all-time June record, soaring into the lower 70s. The first six months of 2019 have been the warmest first half of any year on record in America's northernmost town on the Arctic coast, according to the Southeast Regional Climate Center.

In April, two Alaskan rivers set records for the earliest ice breakup.

March was the state's warmest on record, including Alaska's earliest 70-degree high, one day before the spring equinox.

Given all this warmth, it's not surprising sea-ice extent near Alaska has set record lows.

Sea-ice coverage in the Chukchi Sea was a record low for June, and water temperatures in the Bering and Chukchi seas were running at least 4.5 degrees warmer than average, Thoman noted.

Sea ice reflects a large fraction of incoming sunlight, keeping the air above it cooler.

A lack of sea ice allows the ocean to warm by absorbing incoming sunlight.

(MORE: Sea Ice Melted Far Earlier Than Normal This Year)

NOAA's one-month and three-month temperature outlooks expect warmer-than-average weather to remain in Alaska through September.