It's been a hot summer, over pretty much all of the United States. Our kids in Colorado and Iowa are suffering temperatures nearing three digits, as is much of the rest of the lower 48. That's hot. It's hot by any measure.
Even here in the Great Land, we're seeing some unseasonably warm temperatures. On Friday afternoon, our part of the Susitna Valley was put under a heat advisory that will last until Sunday evening. Daytime highs could approach 80. 80! Can you imagine?
Heat advisories across Southcentral Alaska go into effect at 2 p.m. Friday afternoon, as the return of summer really ramps up. This comes following an extended stretch of rainfall in the forecast, with this week providing much drier weather. While we have dried out, the sun’s energy will now be used to heat up the earth’s surface, driving temperatures well into the 70s over the weekend.
We will see the warmest temperatures in the Mat-Su, the Copper River Basin, along the Sterling Highway and for eastern parts of Anchorage from midtown to Muldoon.
Now, bear in mind, a daytime high nearing 80 here has a much different impact than in most of the country. For one thing, almost nobody here has air conditioning in their homes, because why would you, when you may only use it for two or three days a year? Also, many structures, like our house and our office, are built to maximize passive solar warming. That means lots of windows, and that means the house gets really warm on these days. Also, people who have lived here for a while aren't accustomed to these temps anymore. We're Alaskans. We break out the t-shirts and shorts when temps hit 50 or higher. That's not unique to Alaska, either; the opposite holds true, such as I saw while stationed in San Antonio. If temps dropped to the high 40s, Texans were bundled up like they were in a deep-freeze. For a kid from northeast Iowa, 48 degrees doesn't even call for a jacket.
Some places get a break from being nearer the ocean, just as they generally don't get as cold in the winter. We're kind of in between here in the Valley, but in the Interior, it's not uncommon to see summer temps pushing 90 - and winter temps reaching 40 below.
Not everyone across Southcentral will see the heat. If you live near Cook Inlet, Prince William Sound and near the Gulf of Alaska, you will experience much cooler weather. Temperatures in these areas may only top out in the upper 60s and lower 70s over the weekend. Remember to stay hydrated as you get outdoors this weekend and enjoy the sunnier weather.
Next week, though, it's back to normal.
Next week does bring a pattern shift, as a low in the Bering Sea looks to move into Western Alaska. This will drive clouds, rain and winds back into Southcentral. It’s possible we could see a few days of rain, with highs falling back into the low to mid 60s. As of this morning, it looks like most of the rain will hover in the Western Susitna Valley and areas along the Cook Inlet Region.
That, too, is the result of the nearby ocean.
Alaska's a very different kind of place. We have daylight and weather extremes that most of the country never experiences. But, we make do. It's worth the occasional uncomfortably warm day in a greenhouse of a home, just to live here. And, if it's bad enough, we can always hop in the truck and go for a ride; cars and trucks, even in Alaska, do have air conditioning.
Now, six months from now, when it's 20 below zero, we'll talk again.
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