The National Weather Service (NWS) issued several winter weather alerts for Alaska, with some areas expected to get up to 20 inches of snow while parts of the state are experiencing unusually warm temperatures. Alaska, known for its extremely cold and snowy climate, has experienced some rare warm weather this month.

Officials at the National Weather Service have warned drivers that "severe winter weather conditions will make travel very hazardous."

Winter weather advisories or winter storm warnings were in place for seven states early Tuesday morning, with the National Weather Service forecasting up to 12 inches of snow for some parts of the country.

The largest populated city in Alaska is still recovering from the hurricane-force winds that battered homes and infrastructure on Sunday, leaving thousands without power.

NWS Alaska meteorologist Tim Markle said the warnings are designed to let community members know when the cold weather presents a risk to the community. However, the old system set wind chill warnings and advisories, which were statewide in scope, and only kicked in when there was a wind chill.

The National Weather Service is calling for a series of atmospheric rivers to descend on Southcentral over the weekend.

On Jan. 23, 1971, a weather observer at Prospect Creek Camp measured a temperature of minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

Expect temperatures to get warmer during the days through the weekend, but overnight lows will still be freezing for most of North and Central Florida.

In this time when peak cold often arrives in the northern hemisphere, Alaska today celebrates the king-of-the-cold’s birthday.

The rare Southern storm prompted this headline from the Anchorage Daily News: "Hey, New Orleans, please send some of your snow to Anchorage."

Unusually cold temperatures in central Florida have led to winter weather advisories, while Alaska has experienced some rare warm weather this month.

It may be January, but the unusually warm, rainy weather feels more like spring breakup, and it's bringing the kind of flooding concerns also usually not seen in the Anchorage area until later in the year.