~Alaska Climate~

Alaska Climate

Alaska is our country's northern most state. It's above Canada and close to the North Pole.

When's the best time to visit Alaska?

Mid May to mid September is the preferred time to visit, with June-August being the best.
Not all of the state is as unbearable, cold and miserable year-round as a lot of people believe. Even if you don't have a lot of outdoor experience, guided tours allow you to discover true Alaska wilderness during the day. Whether you prefer to hike on an ice age glacier, explore the wilderness in a "bush" plane or take a dog sled ride, you'll find plenty of options to experience Alaska! The state's many famous rivers, lakes and protected coastal waters offer the chance to experience rafting, kayaking or jet boat rides. Also if you would like to see moose...Alaska is the place to be!


There are actually about six different climates-
1. The Fairbanks area has a wide range, with summers in the 70s-80s F or higher and winters far below 0 F.
2. The Anchorage region has summers in the range of 55-65 F and winters well below freezing.
3. Southeast Alaska-Juneau has summers in the 50s-60s F with mild winters that hover around the freezing mark.
4. The southwest is generally in the 50s F during the summer and below freezing in winter, coupled with lots of wind, snow, sleet and rain.
5. In eastern Alaska-along Canada's border, temperatures average about 60 F in the summer and about 10 to 14 F in winter.
6. Northern Alaska is cool to cold year round, with summer highs generally in the 40s-50s F and winter temperatures well below 0 F (similar to winter in Fairbanks).And just to confuse things, it can drizzle, fog over, gust mightily or chill out even during the peak of summer throughout the state. The climate is part of what makes Alaska such a magnificent place to visit!
Even though, no matter when you go, sweaters, warm clothing and rain gear will be useful.