Ask a Climatologist: The highs, lows and snows of Thanksgiving in Alaska

The weather is a popular conversation topic at any Thanksgiving dinner.

So just in time for the holiday, we have a heaping serving of Thanksgiving-in-Alaska weather facts you can pass around your table along with the stuffing and potatoes.

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Brian Brettschneider, with our Ask a Climatologist segment, compiled the list.

1. No weather station in Alaska has ever hit 60 degrees on Thanksgiving.
2. The coldest Thanksgiving in Alaska was 1994, with an average statewide temperature of -6 degrees.
3. The warmest Thanksgiving was 1943, with an average of 37.7 degrees.
4. This year, Anchorage will have its first white Thanksgiving in the last six years.
5. Fairbanks has had a white Thanksgiving every year since 1936.
6. Juneau only has a white Thanksgiving around 30 percent of the time, but this year they have about a foot of snow, more than Anchorage or Fairbanks.
7. The biggest snowfall on Thanksgiving was in Beaver Falls in 1950, with 28.5 inches.
8. The greatest snow depth on Thanksgiving was in 2015 at the Chulitna River weather station, with 70 inches.
9. The rainiest Thanksgiving was in 1969 with a statewide total of nearly 60 inches of rain.
10. The driest Thanksgiving was in 2014 when only 1 inch of rain fell.

Annie Feidt, Alaska Public Media - Anchorage

Annie Feidt is the broadcast managing editor at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at afeidt@alaskapublic.org. Read more about Annie here.