Anchorage, AK – A powerful early-winter pattern is taking shape across Alaska as November ends and the first week of December begins, bringing a combination of bitter cold and increasing snow chances statewide.
According to NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, temperatures from Nov. 29 through Dec. 5 are projected to run well below normal across nearly all of Alaska — including the Interior, Arctic Slope, Southcentral, Southwest, and much of the Panhandle. The most intense cold is expected in the Interior and North Slope, where overnight lows could fall into the 20s to 40s below zero, with wind chills even lower.
In addition to the deep cold, NOAA highlights a broad region of above-normal precipitation along the Gulf Coast, Southcentral, and parts of Western Alaska. This suggests multiple storm systems may move in from the North Pacific, bringing coastal snow, blowing snow, and reduced visibility at times.
Communities such as Anchorage, Valdez, Kodiak, Bethel, Nome, Kotzebue, Fairbanks, and Juneau may see periods of snow, though snow amounts will depend heavily on individual storm tracks. Stronger systems could bring heavier coastal snowfall and gusty winds, especially across Prince William Sound, the Kenai Peninsula, and the Panhandle.
The Interior — including Fairbanks, Delta Junction, and Tok — is more likely to see light-to-moderate snow in extreme cold, with dangerously low wind chills making travel difficult. Along the Arctic Coast, frigid temperatures combine with periodic snow and drifting conditions.
Forecasters emphasize this is a persistent pattern, not a single major storm — but the combination of severe cold and recurring snow systems may create ongoing travel hazards, particularly on remote highways and tundra routes.
Residents across Alaska should prepare for a harsh start to December and monitor updated forecasts as conditions shift.
