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Alaska, Where Only 2% of Homes Have AC, Just Issued Its First Heat Advisory Ever

Unseasonable warmth coming soon to Alaska has prompted the first-ever heat advisory for residents.

Alaska just crossed a first off its bucket list with the first-ever heat advisory for Sunday, June 15. Temperatures in central Alaska are expected to reach 86 degrees Fahrenheit (that’s 30 Celsius) through the weekend and into the week of June 16.

It’s not as if Alaska never gets hot in the summer. However, as Jason Laney, a warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Fairbanks, Alaska, told CNET, «The frequency with which the heat is coming up is starting to be a bit of a concern.»

This heat advisory seems pretty big, especially for an area where most people don’t have air conditioners. But there’s an important caveat to keep in mind.

While this is the first heat advisory for Alaska issued by the National Weather Service, it’s not the first time that Alaska has seen high temperatures. This is simply the first time heat advisories were an option for offices in Fairbanks and Alaska’s capital city of Juneau. Before a change that took effect on June 2, the National Weather Service announced heat risks through special weather statements. According to a statement, this change will allow offices in Fairbanks and Juneau to communicate heat information more effectively. Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, has opted out for now.

Residents of Fairbanks and surrounding areas need to prepare for these temperatures because this is a significant jump in heat, around 15 degrees above the area’s average.

How hot is it going to get?

The average temperature for Fairbanks, central Alaska, is in the low 70s through the bulk of the summer. The forecast for the next few days predicts temperatures in the mid-to-upper 80s. While some parts of the US may not bat an eye at the mid-80s (stop laughing, Arizona), Alaska is different. Many places don’t have air conditioners, and many buildings are designed to trap heat to get through cold winters. That means serious heat-related risks are associated with these temperatures, even indoors

The criteria for a heat advisory in Alaska range between 75 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on the location. Fairbanks’s limit is 85 degrees, and the forecast exceeds that limit. 

That number was picked intentionally. Laney and the National Weather Service team worked with the state climatologist in Alaska to look at the last 10 to 20 years of temperatures, noting how frequently temperatures rose. Laney told me that it was important that the criteria temperature was met no more than three times a year. 

«We wanted it to come out when it meant something,» Laney said.

Although the criteria are final, Laney said it has the potential to change. 

«If we end up issuing too many of these things this year, then we know we set our criteria too low,» he said.

A flood watch was also issued on June 12 to warn people about river flooding from rapid snow melting.

Despite the heat advisory, these are not Alaska’s highest temperatures. In June 1969, Fairbanks’ record high was 96 degrees. Temperatures in Fairbanks generally rise to the mid-80s two to three times each year, though depending on how many days temperatures remain in the 80s, it could be one of the longest hot streaks on record for the area. The longest consecutive streak for the area was in 1991 with 14 days.

Alaskan weather deals in extremes

Alaska is an area of extremes. Winter is six months of snow on the ground with subfreezing temperatures but spring hits just as hard — and fast. According to Laney, it only takes four to six weeks to melt about three feet of snow. Trees turn green in 48 to 72 hours.

«The issue is that the body takes a while to acclimate to this,» Laney said. «Because the swing is so rapid, most people who spend a winter in Alaska aren’t used to the heat just yet.»

Another thing to remember is that official temperatures are reported in the shade, not the sunlight. This brings us to a unique quirk of Alaska: the sunshine lasts 20 to 21 hours a day at this time of year. Only about 2% of houses have AC, Laney told me, and many have larger windows that let in as much sunlight as possible in the winter. This can backfire in the summer when they let in that sunlight, and the six- to eight-inch-thick walls that accommodate extra insulation trap in the heat.

Alaska is warming faster than other places

The climate is warming because of emissions from fossil fuels and extreme heat is becoming more common. The World Meteorological Organization predicts that global heat will only worsen over the next five years. There’s roughly an 80% chance that in the next five years, we’ll surpass 2024, the hottest year ever recorded.

The effects of climate change are felt everywhere. Alaska, however, is warming two to three times faster than the rest of the globe, resulting in permafrost thawing, glaciers shrinking and transformations in Alaska’s ecosystems.

The statewide average air temperature has increased by 3 degrees in the past 60 years, and winter temperatures are up 6 degrees. If global emissions continue at the current rate, annual precipitation is also expected to grow 15% to 30%. 

It’s challenging to quantify Alaska’s rapid warming’s impacts because they affect everything from people to roads to biodiversity in wildlife. For example, the permafrost soil under about 85% of Alaska’s surface could shift or shrink as it thaws because of continued extreme temperatures. In the long run, this could damage everything from pipelines to buildings, sewer systems and the water supply. And the change will be especially tough on groups more vulnerable to extreme temperatures, whether because of socioeconomic or medical conditions.

Heat safety tips to keep in mind

Per the heat advisory from the National Weather Service, «Individuals and pets not accustomed to these unusually hot temperatures for this region may experience heat-related concerns.»

It’s essential to prepare where you can for the heat, especially because many people won’t be able to escape the high temperatures. Small changes can go a long way.

Simple tips to use when it’s hot outside:

Signs of heat-related illness, such as heat exhaustion or heatstroke, include confusion, heavy sweating, nausea, muscle cramps, a fast pulse and cold and clammy skin.

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Today Only, Get $300 Off Your Galaxy S25 Ultra With This Best Buy One-Day Deal

Best Buy has $300 off the Galaxy S25 Ultra with no strings attached — but only for today.

This week Best Buy is knocking big money off the best Android phones every single day in a special sale event. It means that now is a great time to upgrade your phone, and today’s discount is on the incredible Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

You can currently get $300 off the phone in an array of different colors and memory configurations, and you don’t have to do anything at all. You’ll even get a month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for free, and can save even more money if you do decide to trade an old device in.

In his review, CNET’s Patrick Holland said of the S25 Ultra: «If you want the best screen you can find on any phone, get the S25 Ultra. If you want the most versatile phone cameras, get the S25 Ultra. If you want a stylus, get the S25 Ultra.» However, he didn’t love the price, which isn’t a huge surprise. Of course, this deal makes that far less of an issue.

Hey, did you know? CNET Deals texts are free, easy and save you money.

In fact, if you’re looking to get more of Holland’s thoughts, you can also read how he felt after two days with this incredible phone. Spoiler: It was good. This is easily one of the best Samsung Galaxy S25 deals going on right now, so make sure you don’t miss out if you want to get the phone for less.

SMARTPHONE DEALS OF THE WEEK

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

The majority of these kinds of big deals on phones involve you having to trade an old phone in or sign up with a new line. The proper discounts are far less common, and often aren’t all that notable. So, this is a sizable deal that’s easy to get.

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Revert Back to iOS 18 From iOS 26 Beta: The No-Stress, Step-by-Step Guide

Having second thoughts about the iOS 26 beta? Here’s how to safely go back to iOS 18.

The iOS 26 developer beta is now available, which is your first opportunity to try out new iPhone features such as the Liquid Glass interface, the redesigned Photos app, the AutoMix feature in the Music app and much more. If you have a free Apple Developer account, you can download the developer beta and get started right away. (The public beta is expected in July.)

But that access comes with a risk. Due to the nature of prerelease software, the iOS 26 beta includes bugs and performance snags that can disrupt your everyday use, which is why you shouldn’t install it on your main iPhone. 

As another example, if you also want to test the new WatchOS 26 beta, be warned that you will not be able to roll back to WatchOS 11, as my colleague Blake Stimac unexpectedly discovered last year, unless you don’t mind parting with your Apple Watch while it goes back to Apple for repair.

If you find the current iOS 26 beta to be too brittle, you can roll back to iOS 18 by following these steps.

Read more: Everything coming to your iPhone in iOS 26.

Do you have the right kind of backup?

Reverting to the previous system version isn’t a matter of replacing a few key files here and there — you’ll need to erase the phone and install the current release version. This is why it’s important to back up your iPhone before installing the beta (or, honestly, updating any version of iOS).

The best approach is to create an archive on your computer that you can fall back to. Creating an iCloud backup (Settings > [your name] > iCloud > iCloud Backup) would seem to be the easiest option, but there’s a catch: if the most recent iCloud backup is made under the iOS 26 beta, you can only restore the iPhone to iOS 26. That means when you restore the phone to iOS 18, you’ll have to do it from an archive or set it up as a new phone. Data synced via iCloud will eventually arrive, but you will need to reinstall apps manually.

Instead, create a local backup: Connect the iPhone to your Mac, select it in a Finder window sidebar, and click the Back Up Now button. On Windows, open the Apple Devices app, select the iPhone there, and click Back Up Now.

What if you didn’t make a backup before installing iOS 26 beta?

If your excitement got the best of you and you skipped making a backup, you should still attempt to sync your important data, such as contacts, photos and notes to iCloud. Go to Settings > [your name] > iCloud.

Next, in the Saved to iCloud section, tap See All. Tap the categories for items saved to iCloud, such as iCloud Mail, iCloud Drive and Contacts, and make sure they’re set to sync.

Make sure your MacOS or Windows software is up to date

First, if you’re restoring from a Mac, make sure you’re running the latest version of MacOS:

  • Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner, and choose System Settings.
  • Select General in the sidebar.
  • Click Software Update.

If an update is listed — and you have a current backup — go ahead and install it.

Under Windows, open the Apple Devices app, which replaced iTunes as Apple’s conduit for managing its devices.

Turn off Find My

If you’ve enabled Find My for that device, you’ll want to turn it off before you revert back to iOS 18. Find My is key to the Activation Lock security feature that requires the Apple ID and password of the person who set up the phone. When you finish reinstalling iOS 18, you can turn it on again.

To turn off Find My, Go to Settings, tap your name and tap Find My. Then tap Find My iPhone and turn it off. (If the option is grayed out, you may need to disable Stolen Device Protection first.)

Put the iPhone into recovery mode

Next, plug your iPhone into your Mac and do the following button dance on the iPhone to enter recovery mode:

1. Press and quickly release the volume up button.
2. Press and quickly release the volume down button.
3. Press and hold the sleep/wake button, and keep it held, past the point where you see the Apple logo and until you see the recovery mode screen — a black background with a cable indicating a connection with the computer.

Restore the iPhone to go back to iOS 18

The computer will ask if you want to update or restore the iPhone; don’t be alarmed if the dialog makes it sound as if something is wrong with the phone. Click Restore. In the confirmation dialog that appears, click Restore and Update.

Or, if you don’t see that dialog, open a new Finder window (MacOS) or the Apple Devices app (Windows) and select the phone in the sidebar. Click Restore iPhone and follow the directions that follow.

The release version of iOS, currently 18.5, will download and be installed on the iPhone.

During the normal iOS setup process, you’re asked if you’d like to transfer settings and data from another device:

1. On the Transfer Your Apps & Data screen, tap From Mac or PC.
2. On the computer, select the iPhone in the sidebar (of a Finder window on Mac or the Apple Devices app on Windows).
3. Select Restore from this backup and choose the most recent backup from the pop-up menu.
4. Click Continue. If you chose to encrypt the backup, enter the password you made.

The computer then restores the data from the backup.

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