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Just Before K300, Coldest Temperatures Of The Winter Head To The Kuskokwim

National Weather Service

This winter’s record warm weather and open water led the Kuskokwim 300 Sled Dog Race to announce a major route change. Now, a day ahead of the race, temperatures are about to drop to the coldest the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta has seen this winter.

“The first blast of cold air comes down on Friday,” said Jason Ahsenmacher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Anchorage. “We’re going to see winds picking up out of the north.”

Wind speeds on Friday and Saturday are likely to range between 10 and 25 miles per hour, according to the NWS. As the wind picks, up temperatures will take a dip.

“It looks like Friday we’re going to see highs in the single digits. By Saturday we’re going to seeing highs dropping below zero, so negative four on Saturday and negative four on Sunday as well,” said Ahsenmacher.

This front is moving toward Western Alaska from eastern Siberia, where temperatures dropped to negative 80 degrees Fahrenheit earlier this week.

“I think the main takeaway for the race is that it’s going to be windy, cold, and the wind chills are going to be pretty cold,” Ahsenmacher said. “We’re looking at wind chills around negative 30, negative 35 Fahrenheit.”

Though the trail is about to get much colder, it is unlikely to get snowier.

Despite cold temperatures and gusty winds, the NWS is forecasting a dry weekend with no precipitation.