Cold, but only in winter.
While the average temperatures in the summer range from 60-80 degrees, in winter it is a different story. In late August-early September -- when "Termination Dust" snow falls in Anchorage, signaling the start of winter -- the legendary low temps set in for nine months.
The Inside passage, including the capital, Juneau, has relatively mild temperatures because of warm, offshore ocean currents.
The Interior Region of Alaska has the warmest summers. Fort Yukon holds the state's high temperature record: 100 degrees F in June 1915. Fairbanks often has summer temperatures in the 80s and occasionally gets up into the 90s.
The Northern Interior (along the Brooks Range) holds the record for the lowest temperature: -79.8 degrees at Prospect Creek in 1971.
The Far North of Alaska (including the towns of Barrow, Prudhoe Bay, Kaktovik), closest to the Arctic Circle, is the coldest part of the state.
In Fairbanks in winter, it can get to minus-60 degrees, with a wicked wind-chill factor. If your vehicle is not in a heated garage, the metal door handles may snap off in your hand. A common problem in Fairbanks is that the weight of a vehicle compresses one side of the tires, which then freeze. You will have a very bumpy ride on non-circular tires until they thaw out.
While the average temperatures in the summer range from 60-80 degrees, in winter it is a different story. In late August-early September -- when "Termination Dust" snow falls in Anchorage, signaling the start of winter -- the legendary low temps set in for nine months.
The Inside passage, including the capital, Juneau, has relatively mild temperatures because of warm, offshore ocean currents.
The Interior Region of Alaska has the warmest summers. Fort Yukon holds the state's high temperature record: 100 degrees F in June 1915. Fairbanks often has summer temperatures in the 80s and occasionally gets up into the 90s.
The Northern Interior (along the Brooks Range) holds the record for the lowest temperature: -79.8 degrees at Prospect Creek in 1971.
The Far North of Alaska (including the towns of Barrow, Prudhoe Bay, Kaktovik), closest to the Arctic Circle, is the coldest part of the state.
In Fairbanks in winter, it can get to minus-60 degrees, with a wicked wind-chill factor. If your vehicle is not in a heated garage, the metal door handles may snap off in your hand. A common problem in Fairbanks is that the weight of a vehicle compresses one side of the tires, which then freeze. You will have a very bumpy ride on non-circular tires until they thaw out.
