Baked Alaska

While temperatures across Iowa and Illinois will be consistently warm to hot today through next week, in the 80s to near 90°, Alaska is baking in a heat wave.

Beaches are popular as record heat hit the capital city of Anchorage Tuesday with a high of 81°.

The Associated Press reports that "all-time highs were recorded elsewhere, including 96° on Monday 80 miles to the north in the small community of Talkeetna, purported to be the inspiration for the town in the TV series, Northern Exposure and the last stop for climbers heading to Mount McKinley, North America's tallest mountain. One unofficial reading taken at a lodge near Talkeetna even measured 98°, which would tie the highest undisputed temperature recorded in Alaska."

Jeff Masters, the meteorology director for the online weather service, "Weather Underground", states that "this is the hottest heat wave in Alaska since '69. You're way, way from normal."

In other parts of Alaska, flooding is possible at higher elevations from the melting snow and ice from the late season snowstorms in May.

And, the Alaska Division of Forestry reports that a wildfire east of Fairbanks has already consumed more than 120 acres earlier this week.  A "Red Flag Warning" for low humidity and fire dangers remains in effect through Thursday night in western Alaska.

CBS4 Meteorologist Anthony Peoples