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Is it truly warmer in Anchorage than Florida?

Is it truly warmer in Anchorage than Florida?
Posted at 2:13 PM, Jan 02, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-02 14:13:46-05

This probably comes as not much of a surprise, but the weather in the United States currently is marked by extremes. 

For those living on the East Coast, winds blowing from the north have brought polar-like temperatures into Florida, forcing the National Weather Service to issue winter storm watches and wind chill advisories for parts of the state. 

Meanwhile, the West Coast continues to bask in relative warmth (it is still the middle of winter). One spot seeing unusually warm weather is Anchorage, Alaska. 

The average high in Anchorage is 22. On Tuesday, highs are expected to reach the mid 40s. As of 8:53 a.m. AT, it was already 41 degrees. At the same moment, 12:53 p.m. ET, the temperature in Jacksonville, Florida was 40 degrees. 

Yes, it was indeed warmer in Anchorage than Jacksonville today. This comes despite Jacksonville having nearly 10 hours of daylight on Tuesday, compared to just 5 hours of daylight in Anchorage. 

That is not the only wild weather comparison. 

At 7 a.m., the temperature at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica was -11 degrees. Around the same time in Indianapolis, the temperature was -12, matching a Jan. 2 record set in 1887. 

So it was actually colder in Indianapolis than at the South Pole on Tuesday.

One advantage the South Pole has is it is currently in the middle of summer, and the South Pole receives continuous sunlight all summer long. 

Matt McKinney from RTV6 in Indianapolis contributed to this report.