Alaska's unseasonably warm weather is a result of the 'blob' - a period of high pressure over the state's coast.

This dome of warm air has stunted the progression of autumn and seen the state cling to the remnants of summer.

Unusual weather patterns have extended beyond the air temperature and has spread to the ocean, with an area of warm water found in the usually frigid north Pacific waters.

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Alaska's unseasonably warm weather is a result of the 'blob' - a period of high pressure over the state's coast. Previous iterations of the blob have appeared and had significant impacts on the Lower 48

Scientists are unsure how long the blob will remain in place and the consequences it may have on the weather for the contiguous 48 states.

Previous iterations of the blob have appeared and had significant impacts on the Lower 48.

Previous experience says the blob causes unseasonably warm and dry conditions in the West and cold and stormy conditions in the East.

This is a result of the high pressure area in the Gulf of Alaska causing the jet stream to rise above the blob.

A wall of high pressure gathers around the northwestern states and brings warm weather while blocking storms.

It is believed the Californian drought of 2013-2015 was partly caused by one of the blob's predecessors.

Previous experience says the blob causes unseasonably warm and dry conditions in the West and cold and stormy conditions in the East. This is a result of the high pressure area in the Gulf of Alaska causing the jet stream to rise above the blob

Seattle's 2015 was also the hottest on record and also blamed on the blob.

The National Weather Service on Thursday predicted a warmer than normal winter for the northern and western three-quarters of the nation.

The greatest chance for warmer than normal winter weather is in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, Montana, northern Wyoming and western North Dakota.

'How long will BLOB Jr. last? At least as long as we have persistent high pressure over the north Pacific,' wrote Cliff Mass, a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Washington, in a blog post.

Professor Mass added: 'It looks like things are evolving to a pattern with less high pressure offshore, so the BLOB should weaken.