Extreme Cold/Wind Chill in Western Arctic Plains, Alaska

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill February 8, 2026 – February 9, 2026 · Western Arctic Plains, Alaska

What the National Weather Service wrote

Just prior to midnight on the 8th, the Umiat Airfield RAWS (UMTA2) reported a wind chill value of -70 F as the air temperature dropped to -49 F and a west wind of 7 to 10 mph developed. These conditions persisted for close to 24 hours with the wind chill dropping to -70 F on several occasions.

The wider storm

The first week of February 2026 saw an extensive cold trough aloft situated over the northern half of Alaska. Underneath this trough ambient temperatures hovered around -40 F for several days. Meanwhile across the North Slope and throughout the Brooks Range winds occasionally picked up, resulting in dangerous wind chill readings.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 1319910. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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