Parts of Texas to be colder than Alaska this weekend. Here’s why

We started January with temperatures in the 70s and 80s during the first 10 days of the month. By mid-month, a couple of cold fronts moved through, bringing temperatures closer to seasonal averages in the 50s and 60s, with two days briefly reaching the low 70s. 

These two winter weather events are delivering frigid temperatures not only to Texas but across the Deep South as well, with some areas seeing snowfall from Florida to the Carolinas. In fact, this past week, Pensacola in the Florida Panhandle recorded colder temperatures than Juneau, the capital of Alaska.

Well, on Sunday a flight to Juneau would likely take you to warmer temperatures than Austin. 

In Juneau, temperatures on Sunday morning will be about 10 degrees warmer than their normal late January average of 24 degrees. Interestingly, they will also be seeing rain instead of snow in that region of the country because of the above-freezing temperatures. 

By comparison, a dry arctic cold front moved across Central Texas late in the week, and frigid air is now settling into the region. Temperatures are expected to fall into the low 20s by Sunday morning under clear skies and light winds. For a brief time, Austin will be colder than parts of Alaska on Sunday.

Here are four typically cold locations around the world where Austin will be just as cold, or even colder, on Sunday morning:

The weather pattern across the United States has become increasingly amplified, with surges of arctic air plunging south through the central Plains and into the eastern third of the country. To analyze this pattern, meteorologists examine the atmosphere from the top down.
In the upper atmosphere, where the jet stream flows, a classic ridge-and-trough pattern is visible, with the trough extending deep into Texas.

In the middle atmosphere, temperatures are well below freezing, with the freezing line reaching all the way to the Gulf of Mexico.

In the lower atmosphere, we see actual surface temperatures across the country. The coldest air is concentrated over the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast.

Where temperatures are lowest and wintry precipitation is likely, the National Weather Service has issued numerous cold and winter weather alerts across the Southeastern United States.