Juneau hits record high of 80°F Thursday, heat advisory Friday as warmer temperatures possible

Mark Sabbatini
9 hours ago
2 min read

Similar weather expected Saturday before clouds and cooler temperatures arrive Sunday

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

On a day when Juneau was feeling the heat in a lot of ways with a flood, downed plane and a wildfire, a new high-temperature record of 80 degrees Fahrenheit was also set Thursday at Juneau International Airport.

The old record was 79 degrees in 1963, according to National Weather Service Juneau.

A heat advisory is in effect until 7 p.m. Friday, with even warmer temperatures in the low 80s possible. The current record high for Aug. 14 is 79 degrees set in 1963, 2001 and 2005.

NWS Juneau, on its Facebook page, noted that while 80 degrees may not be high enough elsewhere to warrant an advisory, different circumstances exist in Juneau.

"It's important to remember that a majority of Alaskans don't have AC in their homes," the comment notes. "When sitting in direct sunlight all day, an 80 degree high temperature outside may feel more like 90 degrees inside. Heat advisories for Alaska have been tailored in the past year to reflect what is typically a more ‘impactful’ temperature here."

Juneau’s all-time high temperature is 90 degrees set on July 7, 1975.

The extended forecast calls for clouds to return beginning Saturday night, with a high temperature Sunday of about 70 degrees. Rain and temperatures in the 60s are forecast Monday through Thursday.

Thursday’s high-temperature mark was set as a glacial lake outburst flood from Suicide Basin caused the Mendenhall River to peak at 14.7 feet, the lowest level for an August flood in four years and nearly two feet lower than the possible16.6 feet initially forecast. Spencer Fielding, a NWS Juneau meteorologist, said Friday the high temperature had no impact on the flood’s height or timing.

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.