Alaska in the winter is a moving experience. While most people run to get out of the cold, Alaskans know that some of the greatest beauty this state has to offer is during our winter season. From crisp, cold, bluebird days, to snow-capped mountain peaks, this state has an incredible amount to see and enjoy during our darkest months.
Winter in Alaska may seem daunting for some.
Paxson Woelbehr / Flickr Alaska actually has wildly differing winter temperatures all over the state. You can enjoy milder, wetter weather in southeast Alaska, or head into the interior and enjoy freezing cold temperatures.
Temperatures can fluctuate from forty or fifty degrees above zero to seventy degrees or more below freezing in the Arctic Circle.
Anita Ritenour / Flickr Rivers turn to turquoise ice, and hoarfrost coats the exposed vegetation. The whole world feels like the inside of a children’s snow globe.
The geography of Alaska lends itself to not just varying temperatures and winter experiences, but the landscapes differ wildly as well.
Tim Rains / Flickr The green, spruce tree filled coastline is dotted with warm and inviting towns and villages. Even in the winter there’s a warmth and cheerfulness in Southeast.
The interior can be sparsely vegetated, with sharp peaks and low, glacial carved valleys.
Cecil Sanders / Flickr The sky is just as important as the mountains in these winter tableaus, with sunrises and sunsets bathing the mountains in rosy pinks. On the coldest days the air is crisp and clear, and you can see for miles in any direction.
All throughout the state you can find gorgeous and awe inspiring mountain peaks covered in snow.
Tim Rains / Flickr Snow storms can come quick and furious, and avalanches abound after heavy snowfall and warm temperatures. Even with these dangers, the mountains hold an arresting amount of beauty.
Even something as mundane as transit throughout the state can be wondrous.
Paxson Woelbehr / Flickr Skip the car and the icy roadways, and relax on the Alaska Railroad, with backcountry views and wildlife you won’t be able to see any other way. Traveling along a narrow passageway through the center of Alaska is an adventure all unto itself!
There’s probably very little in this world as magical as the aurora borealis.
Brief / Flickr The northern lights dance across our sky without a pattern. Like a silk scarf in the wind, the lights flow from one direction to another, changing shapes, and even colors.
Winter in Alaska can be thrilling and risky, as well as playful and fun.
Paxson Woelbehr / Flickr Skating through ice caves, snowshoeing up mountains, and ice skating backcountry rivers all afford beautiful views and exciting adventure. There are so many ways to play in the snow here in our state, and Alaskans enjoy them all!
Our largest and most impressive giant, Denali, stands out more days in the winter than in the summer.
Getty Images The cold and low humidity afford incredible sightings of the impressive mountain. The winter days are the perfect time as locals to find a pilot to take you sightseeing. The white scenery beneath you will be breathtaking as you see the state in a whole new way.
Wherever you go, and however you enjoy the winters, Alaska will provide something for you to love.
Bureau of Land Management / Flickr The short days are packed full of life, and the long nights are the best time to practice hygge. Alaskans are a unique breed, able to flourish at what feels like the edge of the world, surrounded by a rare and wonderful beauty!
Have you been to Alaska in the winter? Do you live here all year? What is your favorite part of the coldest season in this state? Let us know in the comments below!
Paxson Woelbehr / Flickr
Alaska actually has wildly differing winter temperatures all over the state. You can enjoy milder, wetter weather in southeast Alaska, or head into the interior and enjoy freezing cold temperatures.
Anita Ritenour / Flickr
Rivers turn to turquoise ice, and hoarfrost coats the exposed vegetation. The whole world feels like the inside of a children’s snow globe.
Tim Rains / Flickr
The green, spruce tree filled coastline is dotted with warm and inviting towns and villages. Even in the winter there’s a warmth and cheerfulness in Southeast.
Cecil Sanders / Flickr
The sky is just as important as the mountains in these winter tableaus, with sunrises and sunsets bathing the mountains in rosy pinks. On the coldest days the air is crisp and clear, and you can see for miles in any direction.
Snow storms can come quick and furious, and avalanches abound after heavy snowfall and warm temperatures. Even with these dangers, the mountains hold an arresting amount of beauty.
Skip the car and the icy roadways, and relax on the Alaska Railroad, with backcountry views and wildlife you won’t be able to see any other way. Traveling along a narrow passageway through the center of Alaska is an adventure all unto itself!
Brief / Flickr
The northern lights dance across our sky without a pattern. Like a silk scarf in the wind, the lights flow from one direction to another, changing shapes, and even colors.
Skating through ice caves, snowshoeing up mountains, and ice skating backcountry rivers all afford beautiful views and exciting adventure. There are so many ways to play in the snow here in our state, and Alaskans enjoy them all!
Getty Images
The cold and low humidity afford incredible sightings of the impressive mountain. The winter days are the perfect time as locals to find a pilot to take you sightseeing. The white scenery beneath you will be breathtaking as you see the state in a whole new way.
Bureau of Land Management / Flickr
The short days are packed full of life, and the long nights are the best time to practice hygge. Alaskans are a unique breed, able to flourish at what feels like the edge of the world, surrounded by a rare and wonderful beauty!
Learn more about how this winter is shaping up and check out how The Farmers Almanac Predicts Winter 2020 In Alaska Will Have Mild Temps And Above Average Amounts Of Snow!
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Address: Alaska, USA
