“The Land of Extremes” gets its wildest in the winter.
To say that Alaska is known for its extreme winter weather is a bit of an understatement, but a lot of people don’t understand exactly what we mean when we say “extreme.” Here’s a quick fact to give some perspective: The coldest temperature ever recorded in the United States was in Northern Alaska at -80° F—That’s NEGATIVE eighty degrees Fahrenheit, NOT positive.
Temperatures like these are coupled with extreme winds. In St. Paul, one of the Pribilof Islands, the average year-round wind speed is 15 mph. Most Alaskans have to swallow their laughter when Lower 48’ers complain about “wind chill.”
After years of managing The Alaska Life Facebook page, we’ve received loads of picture evidence of extreme winter weather in Alaska. Moore Heating, an HVAC company in Anchorage, Alaska asked us if they could sponsor an article on our top photos. We said, “absolutely!” Alaskans themselves, the technicians at Moore Heating have first-hand experience living in extreme winter weather and are trained to respond to emergency heating outages quickly and professionally. That being said, their #1 priority is prevention through high-quality systems and regular maintenance. Enjoy our “Top 5” Alaska extreme winter weather photos, compliments of Moore!
1) Avalanche on the Dalton Highway
Yikes! This pile of snow was caught on camera plowing into the side of semis traveling on the Dalton Highway last December. Fortunately, nobody was injured in the slide, but the multi-ton trucks were jostled and buried–Testimony to the extreme power of Alaska winter!
2) Blizzardy Conditions in Prudhoe Bay
How would you like to dust this snowfall off your car after work? The Alaska North Slope in the winter is as extreme Alaska as you can get. Thousands of workers make regular treks to the Slope each year to work the Prudhoe Bay oil field, willing to brave some crazy weather for oil money.
3) One of the Most Dangerous Roads in the World
“Just go over the hill and make a left.” Yeah, right. Featured on the popular TV show, Ice Road Truckers, The James Dalton Highway is one of the most dangerous roads in the world. Well known as “America’s loneliest road,” the Dalton highway is over 400 miles long with only three gas stations to boot. An icy accident could prove deadly in the winter wilds of Alaska.
4) The Frozen Waves of the Bering Sea
“Iceberg, right ahead!” No that’s the bow, covered in ice. Alaska’s extreme winter weather is not limited to land. Life on the Bering Sea was popularized by the TV show Deadliest Catch, an appropriate name for this frozen fishing experience.
5) Snow-Covered Everything!
No matter where you are in Alaska, you’re going to have winter days like this. Moore Heating has kept Alaskans warm through over 30 winters of extreme weather! They are on call 24 hours of the day for emergency heating outages, every day of the year. If you want the kind of guaranteed, quality heating service necessary for living in the extreme winter weather of Alaska, Moore Heating is the HVAC company for you. Learn more about how Moore can serve you and your family at MooreHeating.com!
Looks as cold as my wife heart….
LMAO!!!!
lol!
Love them all…
3 and 4
4
Nothing else sends chills down my spine then the cold fierceness of the Bering Sea!
My husband worked on the American Number 1 from 1979 to 1984 out in the Bering Sea. They had one baseball bat for each crew member in case of icing conditions. I have a picture of the M/V Miss Alaska covered in ice after making it back to Kodiak in a bad storm. Some years later she sunk in calm weather. Go figure!
3 . Don Statter helped build the ice road to take supplies in to start up Prudoe Bay. They couldn’t shut off the engines to change the oil because it was so cold.
Would love to see that picture if you would post it….
Of the Miss Alaska? I will have to go thru my box of pictures and they are in storeage
I worked in Prudhoe Bay for 12 years…the extreme winter weather is beyond harsh. They often have winter storms where the wind blows for days 50-70 mph with wind chill as cold as -90. Afterwards, it takes a few days to dig out of the snow drifts. Pretty crazy place to work.
Omg we were in Fairbanks for about 13 years. Husband ran the haul road and was in many white outs and the blowing snow used to blow right into the cab and sleeper of the truck. I remember one year when the temperature in Fairbanks was-78 degrees and that was no wind chill factored in. So glad to be outta there!
And the days and days of ice fog!
Of the Miss Alaska? I will have to go thru my box of pictures and they are in storeage
Wow, did you see that? $2.42 for regular gas in Fairbanks! Otherwise, ANOTHER WINTER DAY IN ALASKA. 🤣
Fred Myer -62
it’s shocking Diesel $3.39
Worked the Line for almost eight years as a surveyor. Most of the time was spent at PS #4, and it became a home to me, and it is located on the north edge of the Brooks Range. I spent a lot of time at Prudhoe and some time at the Eskimo village of Kaktovik, about 150 miles east of Prudhoe. Hard to believe it, but I miss it all….and, then reality hits me beside the head!! I now have lived in Florida for almost 15 years, and when it gets Below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, I am freezing. Six years before the North Slope I was in the desert of Saudi Arabia for only eight months…hence my blood does not know what the Hell to do…….!!