Extreme Cold Warning issued for parts of Alaska
An Extreme Cold Warning remains in effect across western and southwestern Alaska until 18:00 AKST (03:00 UTC) on January 10, 2026, affecting the Lower Kuskokwim Valley, Kuskokwim Delta, Bristol Bay region, and the Alaska Peninsula. Wind chills are forecast to drop to −40 to −60°C (−40 to −76°F), with slightly higher values near Pilot Point and Port Heiden.
An Extreme Cold Warning is in in effect for large parts of western and southwestern Alaska until 18:00 AKST on January 10. The warning covers the Lower Kuskokwim Valley, Kuskokwim Delta, Western Capes, Bristol Bay region, and the northern and central Alaska Peninsula.
Wind chills are forecast to reach −40 to −60°C (−40 to −76°F) across most affected areas, with slightly less extreme values of −30 to −45°C (−22 to −49°F) expected around Pilot Point and Port Heiden. Air temperatures are expected to remain near −25 to −10°C (−13 to 14°F) along the coast and −40 to −30°C (−40 to −22°F) inland.
Winds are forecast to increase from Thursday, reaching up to 30 km/h (20 mph) inland and 65 km/h (40 mph) along the coast.
These conditions are expected to generate widespread wind chills below −55°C (−67°F), with the coldest values likely across the inland Kuskokwim Delta and interior Bristol Bay. Gusty winds may also loft loose snow, locally reducing visibility to less than 1 km (0.6 miles) at times.
Visibility will drop to 0.4 km (0.25 miles) across the warning areas as the strong winds and snow create blizzard conditions.
Blizzard warnings will be in effect for the Pribilof Island until noon on January 8, while the Adak and Atka regions will remain under warnings from 18:00 AKST on January 8 through noon on January 9.
Meanwhile, a Winter Weather Advisory remains in effect for the southern Alaska Peninsula until 18:00 LT on January 8.
The National Weather Service warns that exposed skin may develop frostbite in as little as 5 minutes under the coldest conditions. Forecast confidence remains low regarding the end of this cold air outbreak, and bitterly cold conditions may persist into early next week.
References:
1 Extreme Cold Warning – NWS – January 7, 2026
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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