The saying goes that if you don’t like the weather in Alaska, wait 5 minutes and check again.  Nothing could be truer.  With all the massive mountains, deep valleys and rugged coast (bordering two oceans), Alaska’s weather can be predictably unpredictable.

Sometimes we get cold weather from Canada; sometimes we get a warm front off Mexico.  Other times Russia throws us a ball.

On top of all that we also have mountains and glaciers that can create wind and haze, as well as protect valleys from storms and weather.  The clouds effectively swap the temperature between winter and summer.  In winter they form a ‘blanket’ over the land, insulating it and making the weather warmer than if the sun were out.

Getting used to how the weather behaves during different seasons can take time, but a basic rune of thumb (in the Anchorage area) is that winter means clouds are warm, fall means wind, summer means clouds are cold, and spring means wind and water.  These are just basic observations, and you should know that each season is otherworldly beautiful and each hold a special place in the hearts of those who live here.