Alaskan heatwave brought record high temperatures

July 18, 2019

This 4th of July, Alaskans experienced record high temperatures, with Anchorage reaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit for the first time in the city’s history.

As the heatwave continues to dry out the state, the Alaska State Fire Marshall’s office suspended and banned the sales of fireworks due to “high to very high fire danger.” The Division of Forestry reported more than 100 active fires burning in Alaska as of July 1.

Rick Thoman, a climate specialist at the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, told the Associated Press the record high is both a matter of weather and of a changing environment.

“These kinds of extreme weather events become much more likely in a warming world,” said Thoman.

Alaskan heatwave brought record high temperatures

TL;DR
/