Fairbanks, Alaska rose above 32°F for the first time since Halloween, ending a 152-day stretch of below-freezing temperatures—the city’s longest such streak since 1972. Forecasts call for continued warming into the 30s and possibly near 40°F next week.

Unalaska, Alaska marked the spring equinox with a record-cold low of 11°F on March 20, amid a persistent pattern funneling Arctic air into the Bering Sea region. The same conditions have helped push unusually extensive sea ice farther south than normal in the eastern Bering Sea.

Environment Canada data shows Whitehorse had its wettest winter on record (Dec. 1–Feb. 28) with about 140 mm of precipitation—more than double the seasonal average—and temperatures were colder than normal across much of Yukon. The heavy snowpack raises concerns about rapid spring melt and potential property flooding in Whitehorse.

Whitehorse, Yukon nearly set its all-time March cold record on March 2, 2026, when the airport temperature dropped to -40.2 C. The cold snap is linked to entrenched Arctic air and a strengthened high-pressure ridge, with very cold temperatures expected to persist into mid-March.

Fairbanks, Alaska is experiencing an unusually cold and snowy winter, with the most -40°F days in more than five decades and February ranking among the snowiest on record. A climatologist says the season is an outlier for snow locally, even as other parts of Alaska have been relatively low-snow.

After weeks of extreme cold and heavy snowfall in Alaska’s Chilkat Valley, Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued a state disaster declaration, enabling public assistance reimbursement for storm-related emergency measures and infrastructure impacts. Residents and local/tribal crews worked for days to clear roofs and roads as conditions later shifted to flooding and avalanche concerns.

Fairbanks set a daily snowfall record with 10.9 inches on Dec. 12, followed by a return to deep cold with temperatures expected to drop into the -30s and possibly -40°F. National Weather Service forecasters note limited additional snow in the near term.

El Nino and climate change led to an unusually warm December in Łutsël, N.W.T., affecting Christmas plans and ice-related activities due to Great Slave Lake not freezing over as expected.

Over the last 80-some years, there’s been a noticeable change in Fairbanks: The more recent cold snaps haven’t been as cold, and they’re occurring less frequently than they used to.

For the first time in more than a century with no recorded snow -- not even a trace -- this late in October, as of Tuesday the 16th. On top of that, warm weather across the state is setting marks for the latest freeze date on record.