Alaska is legendary for its winters -- but most visitors come in the summer, when the days are long and the temperatures are moderate.
Many people consider the period between May and early September to be the best time to visit Alaska. And within that period, late May through June usually has the best combination of long days, clear skies and warm afternoons.
Daylight
The longest days come around the summer solstice, June 21.
In the southernmost Inside Passage, around Ketchikan, the sun is above the horizon for about 18 hours then. In southcentral Alaska, Anchorage gets 19.5 hours of sunlight. Fairbanks in the Interior, gets 21 hours, and Barrow, at the northern edge of the state, has 24 hours of daylight.
Winter brings 24-hour darkness to only the part of Alaska above the Arctic Circle. Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks, Nome and the rest of the state all get some sunlight, however pale, for a few hours each day. The longest nights occur around the winter solstice, Dec. 21.
The days and nights are each 12 hours at the spring and fall equinoxes.
Temperatures and climates
The the Inside Passage climate benefits from the temperature-moderating influence of the Gulf of Alaska. The summers aren't too warm (60s and 70s), and the winters aren't as cold, as they are inland or in the rest of Alaska.
The broad Anchorage-area climate, including the Kenai Peninsula and Prince William Sound, often sees summer temperatures in the mid-70s. Winter temperatures may fall into the -20s and -30s for a short spell.
The Interior climate, including Fairbanks and Denali National Park, may have summer temperatures in the 80s or 90s. Winter temperatures may fall to -40 or -50.
Northern Alaska's arctic climate is a place of enduring cold in the winter and somewhat higher temperatures in the summer.
Western Alaska's climate is influenced by the Bering Sea and the Pacific Ocean, but the inland sections are warm in the summer and cold in the winter.
Rain and snow
The clearest weather statewide comes in spring and early summer. Late summer and fall are the rainy seasons.
Travelers to the Inside Passage should expect rain -- after all, the Tongass National Forest is the continent's northernmost rain forest.
In winter, the heaviest snow falls in the coastal mountains, where moist air off the Gulf of Alaska meets the cold northern air. The area around Valdez has the greatest snowfall in the state.
