The temperature at one location in Anchorage rose from 16°F on December 7, to 43°F on December 8, highlighting the large temperature differences in short distances that are common during the winter months in much of Alaska due to the lack of heating from the sun and snow cover.

In Southeast Alaska, the changing climate means more deadly landslides, and in Anchorage, more heavy-snowfall events, according to Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy’s report.

Unusually warm weather in early December 2024 has led to rain in Anchorage, Alaska, marking the most December rainfall since 2018, driven by a warm air surge from the eastern Pacific.

Anchorage faces record snowfalls and plowing challenges, raising concerns about its preparedness for future extreme precipitation events linked to climate change.

Climatologist Rick Thoman says climate change is driving this more extreme winter snowfall. As the oceans warm, more moisture evaporates into the air. Then, when the atmospheric conditions are right for a storm, that increased evaporation results in “heavier and heavier precipitation,” Thoman said. That’s in part why Anchorage saw 41.2 inches of snow last month, capping off its wettest year on record, according to the National Weather Service.