Trip Planning Resources

Most regions of Alaska are known for changeable weather. A single day can produce every kind of meteorologic condition imaginable; sun, rain, sleet, wind, fog, you name it. If weather stopped us, we wouldn’t make many photos. Besides, it’s possible to capture beauty in all types of conditions. Our mission is to make the most of what we get, or have a contingency plan in place for the rare occasion we’re weathered out for safety reasons. So if you end up touring in what may seem like subpar conditions, keep in mind that there are often wonderful surprises associated with less than ideal weather. Sunsets can be more brilliant after a storm, glacier ice is bluer under overcast skies, clouds can add drama to an otherwise formless sky, fog is mysterious, wildlife is more active when it’s cool and wet, and low light conditions are often the best in which to shoot moving water. Learning to photograph well in all types of weather is a big step forward in your photography game, and Alaska delivers interesting meteorologic conditions in spades. Read Bad Weather – Good Photo Ops to get the scoop on how to make the best of a situation and protect your gear while doing it.

Southeast, Southcentral and most of Western Alaska have a maritime climate, which means these regions are cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter than the Interior and Arctic areas south of the North Slope coastal plain (which is colder in summer). On average, Southcentral Alaska has temperatures around the mid 60’s (18° C) during summer and low 20’s (-4° C) in winter. Just south of Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula is the northernmost extension of the Pacific Northwest Coastal Rainforest, so with the exception of Southeast, it experiences more precipitation than other regions of the state.