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Alaska covers a lot of ground and has an exceptionally
variable and unpredictable climate, even day to day. In the northern
most reaches of the state the temperature can dip to –50 degrees,
while summer in the Interior has been known to top 90 degrees. The weather
is milder in the South Central and Southeastern part of the state along
the Gulf of Alaska, where the mountains block the worst of the northern
winds. South Central Alaska gets more snow and more clear days than
Southeastern Alaska, much to the delight of skiers. Southeastern Alaska
is the rainier of the two.
Alaska’s artic climes subject cities like Anchorage to nearly
20 hours of sunlight during the Summer Solstice in June and almost as
many hours of darkness during the Winter Solstice. The upside of being
so near the North Pole, aside from being able to observe the spectacular
glacial activity there, is the view of the Northern Lights, also known
as the Aurora Borealis. |
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