Unusually warm winter temperatures seen in the Eklutna Lake Valley

Observation by Komrad Bangerter:

On February 14, 2024, a personal weather station my family owns in the Eklutna Lake Valley recorded a high temperature of 54.7 degrees Fahrenheit, which is far outside the realm of normal temperatures for that time of year. While there isn't very much public climate data for the Eklutna Lake valley, there is data showing the all-time record high February temperature for Anchorage is 49 degrees F, making this record approximately 5 and a half degrees higher than that. It's unclear exactly why this happened, but temperatures were also quite high in Anchorage on this day (low to mid 40's), so there was certainly an overarching weather pattern in the municipality that affected the Eklutna Lake valley much more significantly.

LEO Says:

The Eklutna valley is a very unique place in regards to location, mountains, and glaciers. It appears a slight inversion from the lower areas were impacting the temperatures in the mountains by 4-5 degrees. It's also interesting Eklutna was that warm with the Glacier at the end of the valley. We reached out to Richard Thoman from the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy (ACCAP) for additional insight. We have also included various articles about the Ekultna area in the sidebar for additional reading and interest. Of note, an avalanche in the Summit Lake area on February 15, 2024, resulted in a fatality.

Consult by Richard Thoman:

Strong southeast winds aloft brought widespread unseasonable warmth to Southcentral Alaska on February 14, 2024. Temperatures were highest in areas with persistent winds. High temperatures reported in the area included 54F at the Eagle River Nature Center, 50F at Merrill Field and Ft. Richardson and 49F at Elmendorf and Palmer, so 54.7F at Eklutna Lake is right in line with some of the highest temperatures reported elsewhere in the area. Anchorage International Airport's location in west Anchorage often results in slightly lower temperatures during southeast wind events, with high temperatures of 44F at both Anchorage International and Lake Hood.