Weather & Seasons In Alaska - Best Time To Visit Alaska

Alaska is the northernmost state in USA bordering Russia in west and the Arctic region in north. Therefore, most people think there is only ice and huge snow drifts. Perhaps some of them will be disappointed hearing that this opinion is completely false! Of course, winter is harsh and there are regions in Alaska where the land is covered by snow year-round, yet there are also areas where the climate is pleasant and comfortable, with sunny and warmish summers and supportable temperatures in the cold season. However, weather in Alaska vary very much from a region to another, the seasons are specific to the temperate maritime climate on the southwestern, central and southern coastline, subarctic in the interior side of Alaska and north to Arctic Circle, and arctic in the extreme north of the state.

The northernmost part of the planet has a strange characteristic - there a day lasts six months (summer), while the other six months is night (winter)! Alaska is touched on a small territory by this essential feature, only in Barrow, at the very top of the state, being present a two-month winter period in which the sun doesn't rise, while south of the Arctic Circle every town has sunlight at least several hours a day even in the middle of winter, as well as several hours of darkness in the middle of summer. The climate in Anchorage and south-central Alaska is mild because of the fact that the region is located close to the seacoast and warm masses of air influenced by the marine currents come to the continental part. The average temperatures are very different in the climatic zones, the highest but also lowest temperatures being registered around Fairbakns (in the interior part of Alaska) - over 90 degrees Fahrenheit (30 degrees Celsius) in summer and under -60 degrees Fahrenheit (-52 degrees Celsius) in winter.

There are also many American and foreign vacationers who take land tours in summer on horseback or by car in the interior part of Alaska (some of them crossing the border to Yukon in Canada) to visit the beautiful natural parks and reserves settled in this part of the state.

The key factor that tourists are advised to keep in mind when go on vacation to Alaska is clothing. Alaska weather and temperatures can vary very much even along a single day, so people should be "layered", namely to wear more clothes - in this way they can regulate the body temperature as necessary. Alaska seasons are also very different in Alaskan regions, the winter being generally very rough excepting the coastal areas. For this reason the best time for vacations on the mainland or taking cruises to Alaska is from mid-May to mid-September.