The funny part is I was there the last week in May 2009 and we experienced record highs in every port. I came back home with a sunburn. But if I remember correctly, the last two weeks of May was the only good weather of the entire 2009 season. That's the thing with Alaska, one day may be perfect and the next day may be miserable. Prepare for anything.
Wow! What a difference!
I'm hoping we'll be able to have lots of sun and warmer temps next month.
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Another data point- we just cruised from Ketchikan to Juneau July 7-14 and had extraordinarily good weather (other than cold, miserable rain the day we left Ketchikan, but that's normal for Ketchikan). We did need all our layers for trips near the glaciers, but one afternoon I was out paddleboarding in shorts and a light jacket. Bring layers including rain gear, plan for rain and if you get sun you'll be pleasantly surprised.
I would first ask what you would like to experience during the cruise. Theoretically seeing the Mendenhall and other glaciers should be fine anytime during the May-Sept cruise season. Some shore excursion may not be in full force very early or late.
IMHO the best part of our cruise in early August was the excursion via float plane to Anan Creek to see the bears feeding in the river. This was an excursion that we set up privately as only about 60 permits to visit are issued for any day. This was similar to national geographic with salmon "wall to wall" on the river and about a dozen bears happily feeding, including a few cubs. The viewing platform is about 20 feet above the river and a second photo blind platform is about 5-10 feet above the river.
Viewing bears in any location is date specific so you may want to decide if this is for you and chose your travel date accordingly.
We took an Alaska cruise during the first week of June in 2009 and it was cold! We had packed capris and jeans, short and long sleeve shirts. We ended up buying coats while in port. It was snowing when we left Ketchikan!
It sure varies by year. Maybe there's no consistent rule, and it's all luck. I was just in AK for the first week of June. Weather was chill and crisp (55 to 60F), but the weather was sure gorgeous! No rain in Ketchikan or Skagway. No rain all along the way. Terrific day in Glacier Bay. Just a half day of light rain in Juneau. The morning was still really pretty and allotted enough time to go to the Mendenhall glacier
Roll the dice on the weather, and enjoy your vacation!
One more factor: mosquitos. They are mostly gone by August, but the weather is already more variable then.
You know, I've seen lots of people talk about mosquitos in alaska, but so far, I can't say that was an issue on either of my two alaska cruises, one in june, one in august. Meanwhile, here in michigan, with an exceptionally dry summer, we're still getting clobbered with the things.
The funny part is I was there the last week in May 2009 and we experienced record highs in every port. I came back home with a sunburn. But if I remember correctly, the last two weeks of May was the only good weather of the entire 2009 season. That's the thing with Alaska, one day may be perfect and the next day may be miserable. Prepare for anything.
This same thing happened with us in 2006. We were there in late May and had the best week of the entire season.
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How's the weather usually like in the fall between Sept/Oct? Is it already cold with ice and snow everywhere and can you still see a lot of fauna (e.g. whales, birds, etc)?
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We just went the last week of July & first week of August on a B2B and had perfect weather every single day (except ongoing mist in Whittier). It became a running joke on board when the naturalist would comment how "lucky we are to see <fill in seemingly normal sightings>". Everything from sun to calving to wildlife, they were all some of the "best time to be here" days. Hard to believe we were the only ones that were just that lucky.
piper, I think the mosquitos are more of an inland problem, as I've heard those on the land tour portion comment the most; especially in Denali. The only time we experienced them lightly was when we rented a car in Skagway and drove inland to Emerald Lake. There were some at one of the roadside scenic spots.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TTnC4me
piper, I think the mosquitos are more of an inland problem, as I've heard those on the land tour portion comment the most; especially in Denali. The only time we experienced them lightly was when we rented a car in Skagway and drove inland to Emerald Lake. There were some at one of the roadside scenic spots.
the mosquitos are not a coastal issue. They are an issue when you get to inland areas that have thawed...like in Denali.
piper, I think the mosquitos are more of an inland problem, as I've heard those on the land tour portion comment the most; especially in Denali. The only time we experienced them lightly was when we rented a car in Skagway and drove inland to Emerald Lake. There were some at one of the roadside scenic spots.
Even inland, we never had a problem with them *shrug*. Compared to the ones we have in Michigan, they seemed pretty tame to me. We had no problems in Denali, and no problems up in the Carcross area out of Skagway (and for that part, on either of two trips we've done now). We didn't go to Wonder Lake in Denali, and I know that area is known for mosquitos.
Thanks for the info everyone.
