Climate change reduces the wind chill hazard across Alaska

Low wind chill temperatures can have negative impacts on human health and the capability of performing outdoor activities. An open question is how climate change is projected to impact this hazard in high latitude land regions. Here we focus on changes in the magnitude and timing of extreme wind chill days (i.e., days with wind chill temperatures below −34.4 °C) in response to future changes in large-scale mean-state climate conditions in Alaska. We find a future reduction in extreme wind chill days, especially in northern Alaska and at lower elevations where most of the population resides. Moreover, the extreme wind chill days’ mean date shifts by up to two weeks later in the future, with a narrower seasonal distribution compared to the historical period. These changes are primarily attributed to increased temperatures rather than changes in wind speed. Our finding highlights how this hazard decreases under future large-scale mean-state climate conditions, with likely positive impacts for human health and an increased capability to perform outdoor activities. Days with extreme wind chill in Alaska are decreasing in frequency, especially at lower elevations, and with a reduced length of season, according to numerical simulations which account for large-scale mean-state climate conditions.