Arctic air and gusty winds keep Alaska cold

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Clear and cold, with winter winds added in will be the weather across much of mainland Alaska as the workweek ends and the weekend begins. And that will make for a very cold start to March!

An Arctic airmass has been moving south across the state over the last several days. Below-zero temperatures returned with the frigid airmass, with the coldest temperatures hitting the Interior. In parts of the Alaska Range, a wind chill advisory is in effect for wind chills of 50 to 60 below zero.

Wind chills will be very low in the highway area of Thompson Pass, which is under travel restrictions. The pass was closed to traffic at 6 p.m. Thursday. Updates from the Alaska Department of Transportation are expected at 8 a.m. Friday.

Winds were strong over Southcentral and will remain strong through the end of the week. Seward saw a gust up to 60 mph, Palmer at 53, and in Seldovia, a gust of 49 mph.

A new storm that will impact the state early next week is already over western Aleutians.

Bundle up, winter still has some attitude!

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