what's the weather for May in Alaska

[emt1958]

Hey guys, thinking about taking the princess northbound Alaska cruise May 10th. Does anyone know what the weather will be like..Also any help you could give would be appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Andy

[Krazy Kruizers]

That early in the season expect rain and chilly weather. We sailed one year that exact same week and the weather was horrible. The next year I watched the forecasts -- no rain but still chilly.

Just dress in layers and take gloves and a hat and rain gear -- poncho or water proof jackets. We also take small portable umbrellas. Waterproof shoes.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

We took the last NB tour last year and our friends took the first SB. They has rainy and COLD weather. All she could talk about was the weather. I think it impacted her enjoyment of the trip.

 

We had chilly temps some places--but, also had sunshine.

 

She had longer daylight than we did.

[Arusha]

You'll have better luck with the weather if you can go in late May instead.

 

I had beautiful weather this past May 25-June 4 from Vancouver to Juneau, Sitka, Skagway, Ketchikan, Icy Strait Point, and back to Seattle. Warm and sunny. The locals in Sitka were in t-shirts and shorts on Memorial Day. The only "bad" weather was a very light drizzle in Icy Strait Point, but nowhere was it cold, except at Hubbard Glacier. Maybe this year was an exception...

[Glaciers]

May is normally one of the drier months of the season and the days are getting longer. There is still quite a bit of snow on the mountains although you won’t usually find much if any in towns along the coast except in higher elevations. Temperatures are around 50 degrees but you can see temps anywhere from the 30’s to 60’s. Access to Denali is an issue as the busses don’t start running until May 20 and the entire park road isn’t accessible until June 8.

[Keith1010]

Please realize that weather really can vary day to day week to week and year over year. Sure it will be likely cooler in May than July but we live at a time when the norm doesn't seem to be holding. As to rain who knows.

 

I think May is a nice time to visit but it really is anyones guess what the weather will be like in May of next year.

 

Keith

[mapleleaves]

weather in the Pacific NW and Alaska isn't as predictable as in the rest of the country. What people experienced this year doesn't mean you will experience the same next year. If you want to look at historical data, go to weather.com or wunderground.com and enter the dates and ports.

 

If you plan on land travel after the cruise, be aware that you're traveling during shoulder season and some activities and lodging don't open until Memorial Day, or might not be accessible due to snow/slush. If you're going to Denali, you can't get to Eielson Visitor Center until June 1.

[Budget Queen]

There are vast differences between early and later May. Overall you have pretty consistent "good" weather mid May and later. I have sailed in May at least 15 times, and always prefer the later timeframe, not only for the better weather potential, but for my mainland Alaska touring priorities for Denali park. I now go for approx. a month, but would be a consideration especially with shorter timeframes.

 

 

If anyone is flexible with their vacation times, ability to block out a couple weeks of time and open to cruise ship, Princess has priced dumped these cruises, consistently over many years, at the last minute. But discounts are had with all the cruiselines booking this way.

[indiesmom]

BQ How far out is last minute for the price dumps??? One month, Two weeks, one week, etc.

[shofer]

Ten years ago we left San Francisco May 2 for an Alaskan cruise and our weather was outstanding with sunny days and mild temps all week. In the week after the passengers had rain every day.

 

This year we arrived Anchorage for a cruise-tour on May 15 and had snow mixed with rain the first 3 days. All the TV weather people could talk about was the "late snow season". That being said, we had clear sunny skies for the next several days with 70 degrees in Skagway. The further South we went, it was cloudy with intermittent showers.

 

So we experienced just about everything, weather-wise. You will know what the weather is when you are there. No accurate predicting is possible.

 

Sue