Even though we are in the middle of one of the warmest years on record, an Alaska cold snap just plunged parts of Alaska into -65 degree Fahrenheit temperatures. With double digit negatives popping up all around the state, Alaska is resembling close to the average daily temperature on Mars. Alaskans may be used to temperatures this frigid, but during a warmer winter they can be a bit of a shock.

Mars has extreme temperatures all over the planet.

Kevin Gill You can find temperatures during winter on Mars ranging from a low of -146 degrees Fahrenheit, to a high of 1 degree Fahrenheit. With an average daily temperature of -81 degrees Fahrenheit, Alaska’s cold snap of-65 degrees Fahrenheit is close to the average temperature frequently seen on the Red Planet.

Alaska has been seeing temperatures in the double negatives in many parts of the state, especially the interior and in the north.

JLS Photography - Alaska The average daily winter temperature in Alaska can range from almost balmy in the southeast, to a cold and brittle interior. With a wildly diverse terrain over a giant landmass, this cold snap still affected almost the entire state.

The double negatives below zero weren’t necessarily seen in the Southeast, but temperatures did plummet across the state.

caliseashel / Flickr In fact, many of the small communities in the interior were engulfed in ice fog. Ice fog can only form at temperatures at -35 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.

Bettles, Alaska is making the news as its high temperature in ten days was -47 degrees Fahrenheit.

Anson Chappell Tanana, Fort Yukon, and McGrath all saw temperatures lower than -20 degrees Fahrenheit on the day after Christmas. Many other towns also saw negative double digits, holding steady through the frigid cold snap across the state.

The best part of this cold weather is the return of the sea ice.

Paxson Woelber The Chukchi Sea has begun to freeze over, and it’s very late in the winter season for it. Many Alaskans depend on it for travel, and the sea ice is important for hunting for both humans, and species like the polar bears.

These temperatures are actually normal for an average winter in Alaska.

Angela / Flickr In fact, this only seems unusual because of how warm the winter has been, breaking records in many cities and towns. In fact, 2019 is set to be one of the warmest years Alaska as a state has ever seen.

Alaska is a beautiful place to live, especially in our winters.

Cecil Sanders / Flickr The cold is a necessary, delicate piece to keep Alaska as beautiful as it is all year round. Cold temperatures like these are integral to Alaska as a state, and to its animal and plant life. There are many reasons to be grateful for the dropping temperatures!

Have you experienced the Alaska cold snap? What’s the temperature where you are living? Let us know in the comments below!

Kevin Gill

You can find temperatures during winter on Mars ranging from a low of -146 degrees Fahrenheit, to a high of 1 degree Fahrenheit. With an average daily temperature of -81 degrees Fahrenheit, Alaska’s cold snap of-65 degrees Fahrenheit is close to the average temperature frequently seen on the Red Planet.

JLS Photography - Alaska

The average daily winter temperature in Alaska can range from almost balmy in the southeast, to a cold and brittle interior. With a wildly diverse terrain over a giant landmass, this cold snap still affected almost the entire state.

caliseashel / Flickr

In fact, many of the small communities in the interior were engulfed in ice fog. Ice fog can only form at temperatures at -35 degrees Fahrenheit or lower.

Anson Chappell

Tanana, Fort Yukon, and McGrath all saw temperatures lower than -20 degrees Fahrenheit on the day after Christmas. Many other towns also saw negative double digits, holding steady through the frigid cold snap across the state.

Paxson Woelber

The Chukchi Sea has begun to freeze over, and it’s very late in the winter season for it. Many Alaskans depend on it for travel, and the sea ice is important for hunting for both humans, and species like the polar bears.

Angela / Flickr

In fact, this only seems unusual because of how warm the winter has been, breaking records in many cities and towns. In fact, 2019 is set to be one of the warmest years Alaska as a state has ever seen.

Cecil Sanders / Flickr

The cold is a necessary, delicate piece to keep Alaska as beautiful as it is all year round. Cold temperatures like these are integral to Alaska as a state, and to its animal and plant life. There are many reasons to be grateful for the dropping temperatures!

If you’re wondering more about what winter in Alaska is like, read more about 13 Weird Things That Happen Only In Alaska When It’s Really Cold.

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Address: Alaska, USA