Alaska Heat Wave: Rare Record Breaking Scorcher with 90-Degree Temperatures

No, there might not be much dog mushing going on, but at least the forget-me-nots will be blooming in the great state of Alaska. According to recent weather reports, the country's northernmost city, with a population a little over 250,000, peaked over the 80s and will remain in this record high heat (with possible 90-degree temperatures!) for the area throughout the weekend.

According to CBS News, meteorologists are pegging this temperature high on a jet stream brought in from a big river of air high above earth that dictates much of the weather for the Norhern Hemisphere and is likely causing the unseasonably high temperatures. More specifically, some believe this extreme weather could be due to snowstorms that hit the area in May and even Superstorm Sandy.

"I've been doing meteorology for 30 years and the jet stream the last three years has done stuff I've never seen," said Jeff Masters, meteorology director at the private service Weather Underground, via CBS News. "The fact that the jet stream is unusual could be an indicator of something. I'm not saying we know what it is."

According to the National Weather Service, the blast of heat started last week, with temperatures in the mid-to-high 80s for most of Alaska. Just on June 17, South-central Alaska had four all-time highs, with temperatures in Talkeetna reaching in the mid to upper 90s. In Fairbanks, temperatures are expected to reach close to 91 degrees with similar temperatures for the area Thursday, as well.

The Associated Press notes that temperatures above the 90s in Alaska are extremely rare and have only been experienced 14 times in 109 years. In fact, this record was last set in Fairbanks back in 1915.

Let's hope residents of Alaska don't have to endure the same heat record again.  Unless, of course, they're secretly hoping for a refreshing new feel.