Weather In Alaska

On of the most talked about events are weather. Many have said; “How to properly dress, while visiting Alaska. In summer you start with spring, make your way to fall and you top it all off with a raincoat. In Winter, apply all of the above time two, add boots and warm coat.

The weather is never truly predictable in Alaska. The fact we have 9.2 million acres of land, over 3,000,000,000 lakes and over 33,000 miles of coastland tells you there is a lot going on.

Portage Valley is unique as there are 3 major factors affecting the weather in the valley. #1 it is at the base of the Harding Ice Field — miles and miles of solid ice in the middle of a tempered Rain Forest. #2 it is a little over one kilometer to the Pacific ocean. #3 it is less than 10 kilometers from Turnagain Arm and the waters of the cook inlet. And finally, portage valley is surrounded by mountains and is sandwiched in between the Chugiach and the Kenai Mountains. Only one kilometer of land holding the Peninsula to Alaska. If that were gone Portage lake would be in Resurrection Bay and Portage glacier would be on the island of Kenia. A very interesting place to study weather dynamics.

Some of the biggest storms I have experienced with my guests have occurred in Portage Valley. One year the Whitter Tunnel crew clocked the winds at 208 MPH the reporting station was not a recognized official station so no records were officially broke that day.

One of my most interesting tours is best experienced by the bold adventurists. My blizzard tour heads out on the worst possible weather day and we get up-close and personal with just how violent the weather can be.