But it turns out there's plenty of reason to doubt the accuracy of the minus-79 reading. For one thing, the thermometer in use isn't rated accurate below minus 40. Satellite readings indicate temperatures in the vicinity were several degrees higher. The National Weather Service is calling the reading "unrealistically low." But an AccuWeather blog explores reasons why the temperature might have been accurate.
The Jim River camp is just a mile from the Prospect Creek Airport, which holds the official minus-80 low-temperature record for the U.S.
In any case, the low temperature at Jim River is unlikely to have broken the official North American record, minus 81 set at Snag, Yukon, in 1947.
Here's a graphic showing official low temperatures observed over the weekend in Interior Alaska. The Washington Post's Weather Gang has a convenient wrap-up of Alaska weather from the cold snap.
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