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The temperature in Anchorage, Alaska, is unseasonably warm on Monday, causing a winter storm to bring freezing rain instead of snow to the area just days before Christmas.

Why it matters

Central and southwest Alaska experienced a much warmer December than usual, with temperatures often more than 10 degrees above average throughout the month. A flood warning was issued for part of the state in early December as warm temperatures contributed to ice melt.

The unusually warm temperatures now threaten a warmer Christmas in what would normally be a snowy environment. The weather could hamper holiday travel and holiday enjoyment as freezing rain could make roads slippery instead of snow.

What you should know

Data from Pricing Culture’s processed web data sourced from the National Weather Service (NWS) and provided to Newsweek showed the average temperature in Anchorage on Monday was 33 degrees Fahrenheit, 14.3 degrees above the Dec. 23 average of 18.7 degrees. The maximum temperatures are more than 76 percent above the average for the last five years.

Will there be a white Christmas in Anchorage, Alaska?

Warm temperatures contributed to freezing rain in Anchorage on Monday as a winter storm moved through the region.

Either freezing rain or cloudy weather is forecast for the next few days and the state is unlikely to see any fresh snow this Christmas.

But NWS meteorologist Ben Salopek said so Newsweek that there are still several centimeters of snow around Anchorage, covering the city white. The snow is expected to continue until Christmas.

What is the average temperature in December in Anchorage?

The average temperature in Anchorage this time of year is a high of 24 degrees and a low of 13 degrees. On Monday the high was 36 and the low was 30.

Temperatures will drop again in Alaska over the next six to 10 days, with below-average temperatures expected in the far north of the state and near-normal temperatures expected for much of the rest of the Last Frontier, according to a forecast from the NWS Climate Prediction Center.

Trends suggest temperatures will begin to rise again shortly thereafter, as shown in the eight- to 14-day temperature outlook, with above-average values ​​expected for nearly the entire state.

What people say

NWS meteorologist Ben Salopek recounted Newsweek: “We’re not going to ensure that our temperatures stay warm enough to melt the snow per se, but there probably won’t be any fresh snow at Christmas. No system is strong enough to get rid of the snowpack.”

NWS Anchorage in a winter weather advisory: “Snow and freezing rain occur. Additional snow accumulations of up to an inch and additional ice accumulations with a light glaze of up to a tenth of an inch.”

The office added: “The journey could be very difficult. Areas of freezing rain will continue into the early afternoon, particularly in the Naknek and King Salmon areas. The cooler air aloft will gradually convert most of the precipitation to snow this afternoon.”

What happens next

Freezing rain will continue on Monday and Pricing Culture data predicts cloudy weather on Christmas Eve. Partly sunny weather is expected in Anchorage on Christmas Day.

Cooler temperatures and light snow could return next week.