Dangerous heat in Alaska: First-ever heat advisories highlight
Historic Shift: Alaska Issues Heat Advisories
Dangerous heat in Alaska: Once known for frigid extremes, Alaska now faces the threat of rising temperatures and heat advisories. For the first time, the National Weather Service will issue official heat advisories in Fairbanks and Juneau starting June 1, 2025.
Previously, only special weather statements were used to warn residents. Now, full heat alerts will go live online to help communities better prepare for dangerous temperatures.
What Triggers an Advisory?
In Fairbanks’ outlying areas, heat advisories will be issued when temperatures hit 75°F. The interior, that threshold rises to 85°F.Advisories for Juneau start at 80°F or above.
In Alaska, high temperatures present significant concerns, even if they would not surprise those in the southern United States. There, houses are made to hold on to heat rather than to cool.
More Than Just Warm Weather
The effects of rising heat go beyond discomfort. Rick Thoman, climate specialist at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, notes that warmer temperatures come with longer daylight hours, intensifying indoor heat in homes without air conditioning.
Moreover, wildfire smoke has increased, making indoor air unsafe when windows are shut. “You either get heat or smoke,” said Thoman. “It’s a lose-lose for many.”
Wildfire Season Arrives Earlier Than Ever
Alaska’s wildfire season now officially begins on April 1, a full month earlier than in past decades. Massive fire seasons—burning 2 to 3 million acres—are now twice as common.
Even small temperature hikes mean more evaporation and drier brush, making wildfires easier to spark and harder to contain.
A Disappearing Arctic: Melting Ice and Shifting Wildlife
Rising temperatures also mean shrinking glaciers and melting sea ice. The Arctic sea ice set a record low in March 2025, and the melt season begins earlier each year.
This impacts polar bears, snow crab populations, and increases bear-human encounters as food sources vanish.
The Big Picture: Alaska in the Front Line of Climate Change
Alaska is warming two to three times more quickly than the rest of the world. The Nature Conservancy claims that Indigenous and rural people are having to react quickly.
In the Last Frontier, the evidence of nature is indisputable, despite attempts to refute climate science.
Source: USA Today
