Bitter cold and sunshine settles into Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) - Gone are the winter storms across much of Alaska, with the bitter cold sweeping sunnier and drier air into the state. While some lingering areas of wintry mix will continue for the Panhandle, any active weather for the foreseeable future will remain over the Aleutians and the Bering Sea. This comes as a ridge of high pressure settles into the state and will be the big weather driver leading up to Christmas.

Temperatures continue to fall across the state, with areas through the Interior already seeing highs 10 to 20 below zero. All of this cold air will continue to spill south, with Southcentral and Southeast seeing a long period of time with temperatures remaining below 10 degrees. It’s looking likely that Anchorage and much of Southcentral could see at least 5 consecutive mornings of subzero values beginning this weekend.

There is some good news in the forecast, as the ridge of high pressure generally means quieter and sunnier weather. Not only will that be the case, but avalanche terrain should see significant improvements through the weekend. You still want to make sure you are vigilant when traveling in the backcountry and always watch and listen for the sounds of an avalanche.

Little to no snow looks to impact much of the state over the next week. We can finally breathe a sigh of relief, as the quiet stretch of weather will allow us to clean up and continue to recover from the historic snow.

Have a safe and warm weekend!

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