When is Alaska going to Warm Up??

[GATOR MOM]

I am not too happy with the weather posts I read for Alaska...I see single digit lows & highs in the 30's. Is it going to be a bit warmer by the first week of May...hope some locals can send advice...you only have a month to warm up:eek: I am aware early May is "cool"...but that is darn "COLD"!!!

Thx for advice.

[lvtotrvl1]

The beginning of May can be cold. That's why cruises a re generally less expensive during that time period.

[Chenega]

Hey, the thermometers in Eagle River (a suburb of Anchorage) read 41 degrees at 11am this morning. For this time of year, that is a heat wave!

 

Expect things to be cool, if not cold, especially if you are coming up from Florida, in May. Remember to dress in layers with sweatshirts over t-shirts coming in handy.

[Yukon]

It doesn't warm up until mid-May usually, but this is what it looked like at the cruise ship dock in downtown Juneau on Thursday - http://www.explorenorth.com/library/communities/alaska/images/juneau-downtown-deepsnow-0778.html

 

Murray

[mbisson]

this is what it looked like at the cruise ship dock in downtown Juneau on Thursday - http://www.explorenorth.com/library/communities/alaska/images/juneau-downtown-deepsnow-0778.html

 

Murray

 

Cool! Really, I mean it COOL

 

Anyone know off the top of their head what date the first cruise ship arrives? They seem to move it up a week or two every year. Won't be long before we're cruising Alaska in MARCH :eek:

 

-Monte

Going camping in a couple days-weatherman says it'll be in the 70's :D and we've been out a couple times already

[Pamster]

Cool! Really, I mean it COOL

 

Anyone know off the top of their head what date the first cruise ship arrives? They seem to move it up a week or two every year. Won't be long before we're cruising Alaska in MARCH :eek:

 

-Monte

 

According to Expedia.com, there are cruises leaving on May 4. That's the earliest I'm seeing there.

[daveco58]

I am not too happy with the weather posts I read for Alaska...I see single digit lows & highs in the 30's. Is it going to be a bit warmer by the first week of May...hope some locals can send advice...you only have a month to warm up:eek: I am aware early May is "cool"...but that is darn "COLD"!!!

Thx for advice.

 

 

According to Al Gore - any day now:rolleyes:

[chewap]

Just north of Seattle we had 3 inches of snow last night.

[GATOR MOM]

I was told early May was too early for Alaska...but I absolutely LOVED the pix of the Juneau snow...thx, Yukon! But please...let's warm it up a bit...

 

I am on the Golden Princess...leaving Seattle May 5 & I know it is her first cruise up...

 

Guess I better bring that thermal underwear!!:D

[Dream Fish]

It got up to 42 in Hoonah today, we've had sun and no clouds for about 3 days now, still have about 5 feet of snow in the yard, but it's melting! I wore my long underwear on the water most of last summer, but then again it rained most of last summer. Layer, layer layer, expect the worst and take a good day as a bonus!

[GATOR MOM]

Maybe I should bring 2 pairs of thermal undies:confused:

[Yukon]

Maybe I should bring 2 pairs of thermal undies:confused:

 

Or you could see if your local meat wholesaler will rent you a space in his walk-in freezer for a couple of hours a day to get you acclimatized :D

 

Murray

[GATOR MOM]

I'm originally a New Yorker:D & have lived in the Windy City too...but my Florida Thin Blood may now need help...but a meat freezer...yikes:eek:

GO GATORS>>>>>>BIG WIN TONIGHT:p

[Chenega]

The Alaskan elements can be fun at time but at least we lack hurricanes and tornadoes (three tornadoes have been recorded in the last fifty years). But there are earthquakes and active volcanoes but that is another story :)

[gambit57]

What is "normal" for May? Mid to late May?

 

I'll be alright since it routinely gets into the 20s out here, but a friend coming along is from SoCal. And a HOT part of SoCal. She's not used to the cold.

[starshine]

I'm one of those spoiled southern California natives too...cold to us is 50 degrees! LOL

 

Okay, I'm bringing long underwear now...

[Vmalcolm]

We're on one of those first sailings in May (May 4th, Vision of the Seas). My biggest debate is on what to do in Skagway. We've driven over to Carcross and were planning on repeating, but I'm nervous about booking a car (Avis isn't open yet) through a local agency and then not being able to do the drive because of snow/ice. Anyone know if the highway should be clear/safe by then? If not, what would be a better way to spend a day in Skagway?

 

Thanks,

 

Valerie

[brunolvr]

We're on one of those first sailings in May (May 4th, Vision of the Seas). My biggest debate is on what to do in Skagway. We've driven over to Carcross and were planning on repeating, but I'm nervous about booking a car (Avis isn't open yet) through a local agency and then not being able to do the drive because of snow/ice. Anyone know if the highway should be clear/safe by then? If not, what would be a better way to spend a day in Skagway?

 

Thanks,

 

Valerie

 

Since you've been to Skagway, have you thought about taking the "fast ferry" to Haines and spending part of your day there?

[Yukon]

We're on one of those first sailings in May (May 4th, Vision of the Seas). My biggest debate is on what to do in Skagway. We've driven over to Carcross and were planning on repeating, but I'm nervous about booking a car (Avis isn't open yet) through a local agency and then not being able to do the drive because of snow/ice. Anyone know if the highway should be clear/safe by then? If not, what would be a better way to spend a day in Skagway?

 

The road occassionally gets snow in early May, but it never lasts long. If you get unlucky, you could either wait a couple of hours for it to melt, or do something else (the train being the obvious choice, but there are almost 90 other excursions in Skagway this year).

 

Murray

[NancyIL]

According to Al Gore - any day now:rolleyes:

 

 

TOO funny! I noticed some of the ads at CC now feature Al Gore with a "write to Congress" message on them. :rolleyes:

 

Congrats to the GATORS, Gator Mom! Since it gets so darn hot and humid in Florida, I would think Alaska weather would be a nice change - though perhaps it would be more appreciated around late July! :D

[North2Alaska]

We're on one of those first sailings in May (May 4th, Vision of the Seas). My biggest debate is on what to do in Skagway. We've driven over to Carcross and were planning on repeating, but I'm nervous about booking a car (Avis isn't open yet) through a local agency and then not being able to do the drive because of snow/ice. Anyone know if the highway should be clear/safe by then? If not, what would be a better way to spend a day in Skagway?

 

Thanks,

 

Valerie

We're going to be in Skagway on May 14, the day before the Avis office officially opens. We were still able to rent a car from Avis by calling the Sitka Avis office. They have some cars in before the official open date.

[space07]

We are going to be in Alaska May 18-25 on RC and we are getting married on a glacier around the 21st. I am REALLY hoping for 50+ temps. We are from CA and I am sure we will freeze, I guess it is just a matter of how much! I am wearing long undies under my wedding dress.

[Vmalcolm]

Thanks so much for the ideas about possibly going to Haines for the day or also the tip about calling Avis in Sitka and reserving. I never considered it since it said it was seasonal. I just figured it was closed.

 

We've been to Skagway twice before, but never this early in the year. We've already got a whale watching trip in Juneau planned and our pregnant daughter is going with us, so we can't do anything too strenuous. We will probably do the ranger led walk and hang around Skagway for a bit. We like to get out and see the countryside, but not driving in ice and snow. Don't really want to do the train. Took a train trip in Durango round trip and it was a little too long for our taste. We really enjoyed the drive to Carcross, and thought we'd go all the way to Emerald Lake this time.

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Valerie

[GATOR MOM]

Yep...I actually will enjoy the cool of Alaska...it's 90 here today!!!

 

Married on a glacier...what a great idea...I hope it warms up a bit but it will be beautiful.

 

As for volcanos & earthquakes...I haven't found a place that doesn't have natural disasters...guess we all have to deal with Mother Nature...but I still would like to see some melting up there :)

[gg3]

OK, ya'll, I'm gonna depart from the norm on this, I reckon. Right now it is 84 in East Texas, so we know we are in for a long, hot, summer. We don't care how cool it will be in Alaska......it will be a refreshing, wonderful, awesome change for us and we can hardly wait. And rain......same deal......we don't care if it rains on us every day. We have been in a huge drought for so long.....that we welcome the change. After all, that is why the Great Northwest is so beautiful. I guess it is all your perspective, right ??