When you think of Alaska, you rarely think of heat. But currently, parts of Alaska are under the state’s first official heat advisory. Here’s why it is technically new, but not necessarily unique in what’s considered the nation’s coldest state.

It’s not the first instance of unusually high temperatures in Alaska, but using the heat advisory label could help convey the weather’s severity.

This story was originally published by Grist with the headline Alaska just hit a climate milestone — its first-ever heat advisory on Jun 16, 2025. The disaster struck in early April just as the growing season was showing promise for a normal harvest.