How is Valdez, Alaska so warm on 1/Dec/2007?

Question

Perhaps they have some weird weather forecasting there, but it's snowing here in Vancouver, BC at -2 degrees Celsius (below 32 degrees Fahrenheit) and it was 11 degrees Celsius (50s Fahrenheit) in Valdez, Alaska with clear skies. How is this possible? It's located at around 61 degrees North in latitude... I'm at 49 degrees latitude... Now it's 9 degrees Celsius clear in Valdez at midnight!

http://www.wunderground.com/US/AK/Valdez.html
http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/local/USAK0258

This is crazy because even in Los Angeles it's 10 degrees Celsius (50 degrees Fahrenheit) right now.

I'm guessing it has something to do with the jet stream. Look at how amplified it is in the picture. The jetstream has a steep rise into Alaska from the more warm air to the south.

http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/6871/currentfrontsrgbxo3.jpg

Answer 1

This is actually not that unusual. It simply has to do with what air mass is present over the area. There was a substantial upper high pressure area over much of Alaska, which means that relatively warmer air is in that area. Vancouver was closer to an upper level low pressure area, where temps are typically colder. Valdez temperature could have also been warmed as a result of air being warmed by blowing downhill from the higher terrain to the north.

Answer 2

I do not know how this guy above me can be a meteorologist and think that colder air means lower pressure and warmer air means higher pressure. That is exactly backwards.

My son lives in Fairbanks. It is pretty cold there. Around 1 degree F. at night. Alaska is a pretty big place.

The latitude is not the only factor. Your location in relation to the ocean makes quite a difference as well. The ocean tends to be somewhat warmer.

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Answer 3

I live in Alaska, in the middle...and I tell you, we have some of the strangest weather! Thanksgiving week (all week long) we had 45 degree weather. At this time of year, we are supposed to be in the negatives (around 15 to 20 below). I dont know exactly what is going on, but Im sure that global warming has something to do with this.