Anchorage warmed up to 49 degrees Thursday, topping the all-time-high temperature for the day, recorded in 1968, by one degree, according to the National Weather Service.
Meteorologist Andy Dixon said temperatures in most of the city hovered in the mid-40s Thursday, but a warm afternoon wind whipped off Turnagain Arm and caused a spike at the weather service's office near Kincaid Park.
Forecasters expect the above-normal temperatures to linger in Anchorage through Monday with highs in the mid 30s and lower 40s Friday and Saturday, dipping to highs in the 30s by Sunday. Normally, the high temperature hits about 30 degrees this time of year with a low around 16 degrees, the weather service said.
This winter has served up warmer-than-usual conditions for most of Alaska. The record for the highest January temperature ever recorded was tied in Port Alsworth, on Lake Clark, when the thermometer hit 62 degrees. In Anchorage, residents experienced the fourth-warmest January on record with an average temperature of 29.4 degrees -- warmer than the average monthly temperatures in Philadelphia and New York City, the weather service said.
Reach Tegan Hanlon at thanlon@adn.com or 257-4589.
By TEGAN HANLON