Extremely Cold Start of Summer 2025 in Alaska (Tmax only -4°C / 25°F and snow in outlook), Anchorage and Fairbanks Summer Season has Started with Very Low Temperatures

A Cold Start to Summer in Alaska: Record-Breaking Chill in June 2025

As much of the Northern Hemisphere prepared for the warmth of summer, Alaska began June 2025 with a striking reminder that nature doesn’t always follow the calendar. Instead of mild temperatures and thawing tundra, parts of Alaska were gripped by a cold snap so severe that multiple long-standing records were tied or broken. This frigid start to summer highlighted the extreme climate variability in the Arctic and sub-Arctic, and offered a sobering insight into the persistent influence of polar air masses even during the warmest months of the year.

Record Cold Temperatures in Northern Alaska

Among the most notable temperature anomalies were two remote stations deep in Alaska’s Arctic interior—Deadhorse and Umiat—which recorded astonishingly cold daily maximum temperatures for June. On one of the first days of the month, Deadhorse reached only 25°F (-3.9°C) for its daily high, tying its lowest ever maximum temperature for June. Meanwhile, Umiat dipped even lower, managing a high of just 27°F (-2.8°C) and setting a new all-time lowest maximum for the month of June.

To put these figures in context, these are daytime highs typical of January or February in much of Alaska, not early June. Daytime highs in June for these locations would more commonly reach 40s to 50s Fahrenheit (4°C to 12°C), signaling the start of a brief but intense Arctic summer. Instead, this cold surge kept ice on rivers and snow in some places, delaying melt and impacting early-season wildlife, travel, and subsistence activities for residents.

Snowy outlook and Cold Season, so Far

Alaska’s News Source reported on the unusual cold and wet start to June, highlighting heavy snow forecasts for regions like Atigun and Anaktuvuk Passes, with expected accumulations of 7 to 13 inches. /https://www.alaskasnewssource.com/2025/06/04/june-struggles-swing-into-summer/?utm_source=chatgpt.com/

The Deep Cold: Alaska Weather & Climate blog discussed the delayed onset of summer temperatures, noting that Anchorage had only reached 60°F three times by early June, and Fairbanks had yet to hit 70°F. /https://ak-wx.blogspot.com/2025/06/where-is-summer.html?m=1&utm_source=chatgpt.com/

Source: https://x.com/extremetemps