The National Weather Service (NWS) issued several winter weather alerts for Alaska, with some areas expected to get up to 20 inches of snow while parts of the state are experiencing unusually warm temperatures. Alaska, known for its extremely cold and snowy climate, has experienced some rare warm weather this month.

It may be January, but the unusually warm, rainy weather feels more like spring breakup, and it's bringing the kind of flooding concerns also usually not seen in the Anchorage area until later in the year.

NWS Alaska meteorologist Tim Markle said the warnings are designed to let community members know when the cold weather presents a risk to the community. However, the old system set wind chill warnings and advisories, which were statewide in scope, and only kicked in when there was a wind chill.

Expect temperatures to get warmer during the days through the weekend, but overnight lows will still be freezing for most of North and Central Florida.

As Anchorage navigates through a warmer-than-usual winter, meteorologists predict a continuation of the milder temperatures.

Hatcher Pass Road continues to be closed right after the Skeetawk entrance because of avalanche concerns. Alaska State Parks said there have been avalanches across Palmer-Fishhook and Archangel Roads. It also said an avalanche has dammed the Little Sustina River, which is now flowing through Government Peak Campground.

The largest populated city in Alaska is still recovering from the hurricane-force winds that battered homes and infrastructure on Sunday, leaving thousands without power.

According to Alaska 511, some of the areas most difficult to drive in are around Cantwell, in the Fairbanks area, and North into the Dalton and Elliott highways.

The Gulf Coast city that rarely sees snowflakes has received more than double the snowfall that Anchorage has since Dec. 1, the start of the meteorological winter.

Boston and the rest of New England have been dealing with well below-average temperatures, in some cases falling 20 degrees, as an expansive mass of Arctic air spreads across the eastern half of the United States. This cold surge is making our region this week feel colder than Anchorage, Alaska, which is topping out at 36 degrees.

New Orleans has received more snowfall since the start of meteorological winter than many cold-weather cities across the country.

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