Warm weather across much of Alaska broke temperature records Wednesday and Thursday, National Weather Service meteorologists said.
Meanwhile, high winds that accompanied the warm weather pattern were calmer on Thursday, though the weather service had received some unofficial reports of wind damage in Southwest Alaska Thursday morning, forecaster Emily Niebuhr said.
"Conditions are much, much better," Niebuhr said.
In Anchorage and Fairbanks Wednesday, mercury reached 45 degrees, setting high temperature records for Dec. 30 in both cities. The Anchorage temperature beat the previous record of 44, set in 2002, while in Fairbanks it topped a previous high of 35, set in 1982. Fairbanks broke another record Thursday when the temperature reached 40 degrees. The previous record for Dec. 31 was set in 1969 at 39 degrees.
In Bettles, just north of the Arctic Circle, the temperature reached 35 degrees Wednesday, breaking a previous record of 31 degrees, set in 1977. McGrath reached 47 degrees Wednesday, topping a previous high of 43, also set in 1977.
And in Nome, a high temperature of 38 degrees was recorded Wednesday, beating the old record of 36, set in 1985.