Alaska Climate
Top 5 Cities: Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Wasilla, and Sitka
This month in numbers
April 2026 in Alaska saw an average temperature of -3.22°C, which is 2.1°C warmer than the 1961–1990 baseline, ranking as the 31st warmest April in 77 years of records. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, with an anomaly of +1.1°C.
What changed
While April brought warmer-than-average temperatures to Alaska, the broader trend over the past three months (February–April 2026) tells a different story. The average temperature for this period was -12.04°C, which is 1.2°C cooler than the baseline, making it the 63rd coolest such period on record. This places Alaska as the coolest region globally for the 3-month anomaly, ranking 234th out of 234 regions. This contrasts sharply with the national picture, where 9 of the top 10 warmest 3-month anomalies were US states.
What’s driving change?
Alaska experienced significant temperature swings and unsettled weather in April, with several storm systems moving through the region. The month began with small, fast-moving storms, followed by unusually warm weather in Western, Interior, and Northern Alaska during the second week. Later in April, strong low-pressure systems brought heavy snow, rain, and strong winds, causing temperatures to drop to unseasonably cold levels and raising flood concerns in areas like the Susitna Valley. This dynamic weather pattern, coupled with the ongoing , where high northern latitudes are warming at an accelerated rate, contributes to the variability observed. There have been 3 wildfire events, 2 drought events, and 1 flood event in Alaska over the past 12 months, with the recent occurrences representing 100% of the annual total for each type, indicating an unusual concentration of these events. More information can be found at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The Climate Prediction Center's 3-month outlook for June-July-August 2026 indicates equal chances for above, near, or below normal temperatures and precipitation across Alaska.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Alaska
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Alaska changing?
Alaska is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Alaska come from?
Climate data for Alaska comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Alaska climate data cover?
The Alaska climate profile covers Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Wasilla and surrounding areas. Alaska climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Alaska climate update refreshed?
The Alaska climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.