Climatic Conditions
Alaska is a very large state, one fifth the land area of the U.S. From the polar, treeless North Slope to the temperate rainforests of Southeast Alaska, the land stretches as far as the distance between San Diego and Seattle and, with the Aleutian Islands, stretches east to west as far as the distance between Washington D.C. and San Francisco.
The physical environment includes three major mountain ranges (with 17 of the 20 tallest mountains in the U.S.), permanently frozen soils (permafrost) underlying 80% of the land, frequent seismic activity, and extreme temperature fluctuations, especially in the interior region where climate records indicate temperatures as high as 100 degrees F in the summer and as low as -80 degrees F during the winter. More than seventy potentially active volcanoes are present in the state, with several eruptions occurring in the past decade. Each year, Alaska has approximately 5000 earthquakes. Three of the largest ever recorded earthquakes in the world occurred in Alaska.
Statewide Climate Region Map
| Region |
Representative Community
|
Yearly Ave. Daily Minimum Temp. (F)
|
Ave. Wind Speed (MPH)
|
Annual Precipitation (inches)
|
Heating Degree Days
|
| 1 |
Ketchikan
|
39.4
|
10.3
|
155.0
|
7,084
|
| 2 |
Valdez
|
31.2
|
6.1
|
64.0
|
9,605
|
| 3 |
Fairbanks
|
16.6
|
5.3
|
10.1
|
14,274
|
| 4 |
Kotzebue
|
15.2
|
12.8
|
9.0
|
16,032
|
| 5 |
Barrow
|
4.3
|
12.5
|
4.5
|
20,370
|