5 Photos That Best Capture Alaska’s Extreme Winter Weather

“The Land of Extremes” gets its wildest in the winter. Extreme temperatures in Fairbanks, Alaska - Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia 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

Photo Courtesy: Alaska Department of Transportation via John Slater 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

Photo Credit: Charlie Newman 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

Photo Courtesy of Rolf Hicker “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

Photo Courtesy of FishEx “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!

Photo Courtesy of Sam Amato 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!