Seasons & Weather in Alaska - Best Time to Visit Alaska

Alaska is the northernmost state in US bordering the Asian part of Russia in west and the Arctic region in north, therefore most people thinking there is everywhere ice and huge snow drifts. Perhaps some of them will be disappointed hearing that this opinion is completely false! Of course, winter is pretty harsh and there are regions in Alaska where the land is covered by snow almost year-round, yet there are also areas where the climate is pretty fair 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 coastlines, subarctic in the interior side of Alaska and north to the Arctic Circle, and arctic in the extreme north of the state.

There is a strange characteristic of the northernmost part of the planet - there is six months day (summer) and six months night (winter)! Alaska is touched very few by this essential feature, only in Barrow, at the very top of the state, is 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, the largest city in the state even if the capital city is Juneau, 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 over 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 of Alaska) - over 90 degrees Fahrenheit (over 30 degrees Celsius) in summer and under -60 degrees Fahrenheit (below -52 degrees Celsius) in winter!

But when is the best time visiting Alaska? Generally is considered that spending vacations in Alaska during summer creates the best conditions to be enjoyed at best the natural and cultural attractions this state has to offer. Tourists taking Alaskan cruises to see the awesome "Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve" located in Glacier's Bay in southeastern Alaska and other glaciers located on the mainland have great chances to benefit on sunny days during summer and visit into a comfortable way this natural wonders. Holiday makers traveling to Alaska in order to observe marine animals (there are many people coming for whale watching and observing orcas feeding and interacting along the coastline) or bears (Alaska is nicknamed "The Bear's Country" due to the fact that everywhere can be seen a large number of grizzly, black and brown bears), as well as tourists coming to relish fishing vacations (in Alaska can be cached all five species of Pacific salmon, but fishing for trout is also exceptional just like for other species) are warmed up by the friendly sunshine between mid-June and mid-August and have the opportunity to spend some of the best holidays of their life! There are also many American and foreign vacationers who take longer 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 holiday makers are advised to keep in mind when vacationing in Alaska is clothing. The weather and temperatures can vary very much even in the same day and consequently they should be "layered", respectively to wear more clothes of different thicknesses - in this way can regulate the body temperature as they need. Seasons are also very different in Alaskan regions, the winter being generally very rough excepting the coastal areas, and for this reason the best time spending holidays on land or sailing to Alaska aboard of cruise ships is after mid-May till mid-September.

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