Rain forecasted all week...is all lost?

[Dragonfly0705]

Anyone done it without rain pants? I can't convince my DH that they are necessary.

[Northern Aurora]

Anyone done it without rain pants? I can't convince my DH that they are necessary.[/quote

 

Whether you will need rain pants is determined on what activities you will be doing. If you are on outdoorsy types of activities then they are/may be needed. But many folks have a very enjoyable trip to Alaska and don't find the need to buy them. Really does depend on the level of activity.

 

If your first port in Alaska is Ketchikan, then just purchase them there if you make the decision they are indeed needed.

[dijid]

I'm trying hard not to get down about the forecast, but it's hard. We leave in hours and in most stops, they're predicting the rainfall amounts. Not just if, but how much. A light occasional rain I can handle, but the forecast in some parts is steady rain with an accumulation of 3/4". Not to mention it will be freezing temps and snow up to 1" for Glacier Bay day. We will make the most of it, but I know from experience that being constantly cold and wet doesn't make for a fun vacation.

[cruiseryyc]

I'm trying hard not to get down about the forecast, but it's hard. We leave in hours and in most stops, they're predicting the rainfall amounts. Not just if, but how much. A light occasional rain I can handle, but the forecast in some parts is steady rain with an accumulation of 3/4". Not to mention it will be freezing temps and snow up to 1" for Glacier Bay day. We will make the most of it, but I know from experience that being constantly cold and wet doesn't make for a fun vacation.

 

Well you are going to Alaska - a place known for wet weather and snow!

[VennDiagram]

I'm trying hard not to get down about the forecast, but it's hard. We leave in hours and in most stops, they're predicting the rainfall amounts. Not just if, but how much. A light occasional rain I can handle, but the forecast in some parts is steady rain with an accumulation of 3/4". Not to mention it will be freezing temps and snow up to 1" for Glacier Bay day. We will make the most of it, but I know from experience that being constantly cold and wet doesn't make for a fun vacation.

 

 

Dressing for the conditions will be key to enjoying your vacation. You don't have to be cold and wet. I live wear winter temps are often -20F. I wear what is needed to stay warm.

 

Not sure when you're going to be in Glacier Bay, but this is the forecast I found (which may change multiple times before you get there, anyway....)

 

https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/Glacier+Bay+National+Park+and+Preserve+AKGLBA:13:US

[3Fluffies]

I just finished a May 30-June 6 itinerary with rain almost every day - still had a blast. Got wet on occasion (didn't have rain pants or a waterproof coat, just a water resistant jacket and an umbrella on shore) but although it was chilly, it was liveable. When I saw the rain chance forecast, I just packed an extra pair of shoes in case they got too wet.

 

It was a little irksome when the clouds were too low to see the peaks of the mountains, but often they lifted as the day went on, and even during the wettest, foggiest days, the views were still spectacular. One of our coldest, soggiest days was Glacier Bay, and we still got stunning up-close looks at glaciers (a Ranger told us that on overcast days they appear bluer, and they certainly were blue!) and tons of wildlife including breaching humpbacks, stellar sea lions, puffins, and sea otters, along with numerous other seabirds.

 

In ports, I used an umbrella (once had to buy a cheap one when I realized I'd forgotten to carry mine) and again - a little dampness never hurt anybody. The weather often did change fast with the sun bursting into view abruptly, lighting up the snow on the mountains and patches of sparkle on the water, or rain gliding like a curtain between the peaks.

 

Alaska is beautiful in all weather, and while I still would love to see more of its mountains against blue sky, I wouldn't have traded this trip for anything.

[quercus alba]

One of my guidebooks said about Ketchikan: "If you can't see the top of Deer Mountain, it is raining. If you can see the top, it will rain."

[K.T.B.]

I had rain predicted every day of the trip I just took. I was gone for 18 days. It rained 4 times: Once in the morning when we were in Seattle (it stopped around 1:00 or so), a light sprinkle while in Skagway (about 30 minutes), a light shower in Icy Strait Point (for an hour) and in Anchorage (all morning until about 2:00).

 

Every single day the prediction was for 40% or higher. In Juneau the prediction was 70% and it didn't rain a drop.

 

Basically, it's a crap shoot. Be prepared, hope for the best, expect the worst. That's all you can do!

[RSF Cruiser]

If you don't have rain pants, then wear quick dry ones. Denim, as in jeans, absorbs water and takes a while to dry, so you should generally avoid wearing them in the rain. You want to avoid having wet clothing next to your skin - will make you very cold...

 

As others have said, if you dress appropriately, there is no need to be cold or wet :-)

[Dragonfly0705]

Update from the trip: We have only had 1 day (scenic cruising at Hubbard glacier) the was almost completely rainy. It rained while we were salmon fishing (no catching unfortunately) but is now beautiful.

[Planning is Half the Fun]

So glad for you!

[dijid]

We're back and the rain wasn't as much of a problem as we thought it would be. We got poured on unexpectedly in Vancouver and discovered that my and my daughter's "waterproof" rain coats weren't so. (They're the same brand. Had always held up in the rain but not so in a downpour.)

 

The days in ports all worked out. We seemed to get lucky and get most of our biggest sightseeing out of the way in between the periods of rain. Timed the drive in Skagway perfectly, as it rained on us only as we were returning. Got to walk around the town without many other people, too, as they'd gone back to the ship by then.

 

However, my husband and I felt the scenic cruising of the Inside Passage was severely hampered by the lack of visibility caused by rain at times. And we both feel the rain made the huge expense of renting a car to drive from Seward to Anchorage a waste of money. It was pouring most of the drive and we couldn't see squat. We had planned to take our time and stop at scenic places along the way and do some hiking. We stopped at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center and it didn't take long before we were miserable, despite dressing appropriately. It was windy, which made us cold and wet and we'd all stayed up too late the previous night. We just wanted to get the drive over with at this point and ended up going to the Anchorage Museum, which we enjoyed very much. The skies cleared the next two days, though, and we got excellent views of Denali, which made driving up north worth it. We were surprised at all the mountains surrounding Anchorage when we returned to fly home, as we hadn't seen anything other than just gray the day of disembarkation.

[dijid]

Dressing for the conditions will be key to enjoying your vacation. You don't have to be cold and wet. I live wear winter temps are often -20F. I wear what is needed to stay warm.

 

Not sure when you're going to be in Glacier Bay, but this is the forecast I found (which may change multiple times before you get there, anyway....)

 

https://weather.com/weather/tenday/l/Glacier+Bay+National+Park+and+Preserve+AKGLBA:13:US

 

That link actually takes you to the (mislabeled) forecast for Glacier National Park in MT. The weather forecast for Glacier Bay in Alaska can be found here: https://www.wunderground.com/us/ak/glacier-bay-national-park If the temperatures really were in the 70s at Glacier Bay, we'd have some seriously melting glaciers!

[kennicott]

If the temperatures really were in the 70s at Glacier Bay, we'd have some seriously melting glaciers!

 

Here are the last three days hourly weather observations at Gustavus (Glacier Bay). It was 76 there yesterday. http://w1.weather.gov/obhistory/PAGS.html

 

We were at Hubbard near the end of May in 2010 and it was 72. I didn't use sunscreen and got scorched.

[CruisenDad]

I remember my daughter checking the weather forecast at our Alaska stops before we left and being bummed out by the high chance of rain each day. Juneau was supposed to be rain and cloudy and we ended up with the best weather day of the cruise. Total sun and about 70 degrees (we went in late June). We had a sporadic drizzle in Skagway that didn't bother us a bit. Glacier Bay was a cloudy day but it was still an awesome experience. I've only been to Alaska once (and on a cruise at that) but it was my personal all time favorite vacation. Embrace the fact that you're not going to Panama City Beach again and are in for an awesome adventure!

[K.T.B.]

Prior to our leaving for our trip I kept checking the weather forecasts. It wasn't easy to figure out since we'd be going for 17 days. Based on what I was seeing vs. what actually occurred, we ended up over packing quite a bit! We never did use the rain jackets for example, but there is no way I'd leave them unpacked!

 

Had we known exactly how the weather would have been, I would have left behind 4 jackets between the two of us, as well as a few sweaters my wife packed and never wore.

 

You can never tell how things will turn out. You need to assume it's going to be cold and rainy at some point along the way though.

[lmkucala]

To the OP: I assume you are back from your trip by now and hope you had a wonderful time! I've seen a few trip reports from the last couple of weeks and folks have said that weather has been nice, so I'm curious how weather turned out for you after your rainy forecast?

 

We leave on Saturday and rain is forecasted most of the time also. We will have a great time I'm sure either way - just curious.

[Dragonfly0705]

We had a beautiful trip. Only one rainy day and it was during scenic cruising so we just hung out on the promenade deck. We also had some rain in Ketchikan and Vancouver but neither day was rainy all day. I am working on a trip report but here are some pics from the trip.

[lmkucala]

Glad you had a great time! Looking forward to your review!

[lynncarol]

Years ago a park ranger at Yellowstone told us, "There is no such thing as bad weather...only inadequate clothing and/or a bad attitude". We have tried to maintain that philosophy ever since!