The entire Southeast Alaska panhandle will experience very cold temperatures this week, with wind chill warnings issued for upper Lynn Canal.
“The last time Juneau hit zero was back in 2014,” said Cody Moore, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Juneau. “However, the last time we actually got below zero was back in winter of 2009.”
Moore said temperatures will range from zero to 5 below zero in Haines, Skagway, Gustavus and Juneau.
The coldest areas in Juneau will be in the Mendenhall Valley near Mendenhall Glacier.
“Cold air likes to pool in valleys during the nighttime, then having the glacier just exacerbates that,” Moore said. “So, that’s why we get 10 to 15 degrees colder than the airport, which is only a few miles away.”
Temperatures at the Juneau airport are also moderated by water in Gastineau Channel.
All other Southeast communities, from Yakutat to Metlakatla and everywhere in between, will experience temperatures down to the low teens and single digits.
“It’s going to last through the week,” Moore said. “Tuesday and Wednesday are going to be the coldest days, then we have a slight moderating trend through the weekend. However, temperatures are still expected to remain below freezing.”
Winds will be gusting in White Pass, north of Skagway, prompting wind chill as low as 60 below. Wind chill in downtown Juneau will be as low as 40 below.
“Bundle up, dress well, and then if you have to be outside, just make sure you’re taking the necessary precautions for dealing with this cold weather,” Moore said. “Just know that in as little as 30 minutes frostbite can occur, especially when wind chills are as low as negative 25.”
Moore said a high-pressure system over northwest Canada is forcing cold air to flow toward a low-pressure system in the Gulf of Alaska. He also said the colder and drier conditions may be helped by a cool La Niña ocean pattern now underway in the Pacific Ocean.
Matt Miller is a reporter at KTOO in Juneau.
