Thinking of visiting or even moving to Alaska? Below are some of the most frequently asked questions and interesting facts about this beautiful state. If there are any questions that we may have missed, feel free to contact us below for more information. We hope you enjoy reading about Alaska and it’s amazing features. Follow us on our adventures to see even more!
FAQs and Facts
About Alaska
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How do you stay warm in the winter when the temperatures are below zero?
People often like to think of Alaskans as part penguin because “Who in their right mind could ever live in full time in the negative temperatures besides penguins?” Ha! It does take a special mindset to live in Alaska long term. It is generally a 50/50 chance for people to move here and truly fall in love with the state like we have. We have learned along the way, and learned quickly throughout our first winter season here, that body heat and clothing that holds it in is the best way to keep warm.
Layering is key to staying warm and dry. Certain fabrics work much better than others to hold in body heat, repel sweat, and keep you safe from wind and weather.
Inner Layer: An insulating base of mid-weight wool or synthetic base layer that fits snugly to your body are key for holding body heat and repelling sweat. Absolutely no cotton, because it holds onto moisture and could lead to hypothermia.
Insulating Layer: Wearing several layers is the best way to trap heat close to your body. Two or more thinner layers will be much warmer than a single heavier layer of similar bulk. Adjusting the number of insulating layers to match the outside temperature and conditions with your activity level is key for not overheating as well.
Outer Layer: Protect it all with a windproof/waterproof shell as your outer layer. Stick to synthetic fabric. Polyesters and merino wool are great options that wick away sweat and will keep you dry. Always be sure to keep your head, hands, and feet warm too!
Do all four seasons occur in Alaska? How cold does it get? How hot does it get?
In Alaska, we jokingly say that there are only two seasons, summer and winter. Haha! In all seriousness though, Alaska does experience all four seasons each year, only, some seasons are shorter than others.
Summer usually lasts from June to August with an average high of 73°F or 23°C. We have experienced over 100°F or 37°C in the summer of 2019! Some summers are much hotter than others which also causes more wildfires due to the dry heat and low humidity in the area.
Fall is a short lived season but oh so beautiful! Alaskans, especially in the Interior (inner Alaska with more drastic weather), have a nickname for fall when heading into winter; “Freeze-Up Season”. It is when the temperatures start dropping and snow starts falling in October, and everything starts “freezing up”.
Winter is the longest of the seasons, generally lasting approximately 6 months. Starting in October and gradually becoming more extreme, with late January into February being our coldest months with an average high temperature of -18°F or -27°C. Though the wind chills reaching -40°F to -60°F or -40°C to -51°C is common during those times.
Spring finally emerges during different months, whether that is April or June. It is a beautiful time when we are all fed up with winter and can’t wait to get back into warm weather! Alaskans also have a nickname for this time; “Break-Up Season”. Break-Up Season happens when all of the ice starts breaking up and everything starts melting. We all love Break-Up Season!
What are the days like in Alaska through summer and winter?
Adam and I each have a different answer on whether our favorite season is summer or winter. I am definitely a summer, warm weather kind of girl, whereas Adam absolutely loves the cold winters! The funny thing is, there are tons of people that truly believe that all of Alaska is always cold and snowy, because that is what they see most in television, movies, and photographs. I can’t tell you how many times we have been asked if we live in igloos, or have people tell us to make sure we bundle up at all times of the year to stay warm.
Summers can vary from year to year in Alaska. Since 2019 when we moved here, every summer and every winter has been different. Summer of 2019 was very hot, averaging in the 80°F’s and even hit above 90°F. It was an extremely dry season with very little rain which ended up causing many wildfires that burned approximately 2.5 million acres of land! That was above average, but less than the all-time record of 6.6 million acres that burned in Alaska during the summer of 2004. Compared with 2019, Alaska saw more rain during June and July 2020. It was a much cooler summer, with an average high of around 72°F, and most everyone had on rain jackets all the time.
Even with the temperatures changing from year to year, one thing always stays the same, “The Midnight Sun”. One really neat feature of Alaska is where it is located geographically. With the rotation of the earth being on an axis, Alaska is at a different angle and is always either gaining or losing daylight throughout the year.
The only negative of Alaska is the mosquitos! We jokingly say that they are the state bird! Ha!
How much snow does Alaska get annually?
Average snowfall amounts throughout Alaska vary drastically depending on the region of Alaska you are in. A town closer to the ocean will have a much higher snowfall amount that a town in the interior of Alaska.
For instance, here in North Pole and the Fairbanks area in the interior, we average around 60 inches or 152 centimeters. That does sound like a lot of snow, but comparing our snowfall amount in the interior to Valdez that is in South Central Alaska it is nothing. Valdez averages 325 inches or 826 centimeters annual snowfall! That is 27 feet or just over 8 meters of snow!
High winds in certain areas can cause snow drifts across roads, making it quite dangerous if you hit them at higher speeds. You definitely have to be careful and take extra precautions when driving in the winter, but it is such a beautiful sight to see!
Regardless of the weather, a visit to The Last Frontier is always an experience, but if you make sure to bring some extra warm clothes, food that won’t freeze, and emergency gear just in case.
How do Alaskan residents battle the snow and drive on the snow covered roads?
One thing to always remember when winter sets in in Alaska is that life does not stop up here. When the snow starts falling, we still have to go to work and school. Delays and closures are rare unless there is an accumulation of ice on the roads.
Normally in the Lower 48, most states use a salt on the roads to help melt ice and make it a bit safer to drive during the winter. Alaska is known to use sand instead of salt due to the negative temperatures not allowing the salt to melt the ice, only sit on top of it.
Once snow and ice have accumulated, crews switch to de-icing measures. Salt brine can still be used, but instead of being applied directly, the mixture is sprayed onto sand as it is applied by sand trucks to roadways.
They use a type of liquid salt called magnesium chloride instead in targeted ways, like during freeze-thaw cycles that ice up the road and in hillier areas. Because salt use has been reduced, we can have more flexibility for using it where it is most important.
Winter rated tires are an important purchase that most people make in Alaska as well. Snow tires are made with a hydrophilic rubber that stays softer and more pliable in winter weather. Some people keep all season tires on their vehicles, which work decently as well. My family prefers Bridgestone Blizzak tires in the winter due to their high ratings and unparalleled ability to stop on both snow and ice.
What does it mean to “winterize” a vehicle for Alaskan winters?
If you look closely at the picture above, you will see extension cords running from the post in the middle to the front of each vehicle. Most people who have never seen an extension cord hanging from the front of a car would give it a funny look, just like we did when we moved here! That is one of the ways that Alaskans keep their vehicles from freezing up in the winter time, especially in the frigid negative temperatures.
The extension cords you see run into the vehicle’s engine to power two receptacles mounted onto the frame. Plugged into one outlet, you will most likely find an engine block heater. This heater is installed directly into an existing port in the engine block, and it heats the block through either a dry socket or through the antifreeze to keep it at a more reasonable temperature to make sure it does not freeze. In the other outlets, an engine oil pan heater to keep your engine oil at a lower viscosity, a transmission pan heater to do the same as the engine oil heater, and a battery trickle charger or battery warmer.
Some other ways of winterizing your vehicle is to make sure all the fluids are at a proper level, check your brakes, and get a good set of winter tires if you can. Also, pack an emergency kit with cables, blankets, and snacks to keep in your vehicle.
How far is Fairbanks from the Arctic Circle?
Fairbanks is known to be the perfect jumping off point for adventures to the Arctic Circle. It is one of the bigger cities in Alaska that is “closest” to the Arctic Circle and a perfect place to stop and stock up on last minute items needed for your next adventure.
The Arctic Circle is around 200 driving miles or 322 kilometers from Fairbanks. Many visitors who come to Fairbanks want to rent a vehicle and try to drive the Dalton Highway to cross the Arctic Circle on their own. It is only recommended, if you have a vehicle specifically equipped for the conditions and are an experienced driver, especially on winter roads. Most rental car companies do not allow their vehicles to be taken on the Dalton Highway. The highway is a rough, industrial road with no cell phone coverage or Wi-Fi and very limited vehicle services. There are, however, multiple tour companies that both fly and drive to the Arctic, a spectacular trip any time of year.
The Arctic Circle's wilderness is profound, even by Alaska standards, making crossing into it a must-do for a complete experience in the Last Frontier. A single road enters the Arctic Circle. It's the Dalton Highway, a wide but rough gravel road built alongside the trans-Alaska oil pipeline in the 1970s. It starts about 80 miles northwest of Fairbanks at a junction with the Elliot Highway. From this point, it winds 414 miles through scraggly taiga, along Gates of the Arctic National Park, up a mountain pass, and through windswept coastal plains to Prudhoe Bay. At mile 115 on the Dalton you officially cross into the Arctic Circle.
When and where can you see the Northern Lights?
The Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, is a captivating atmospheric phenomenon that has been regarded as the Holy Grail of skywatching.
The beautiful waves of light are actually collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth's atmosphere. The lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres. Variations in color are due to the type of gas particles that are colliding. The most common color you will see is a pale yellowish-green. It is produced by oxygen molecules located about 60 miles above the earth. Rare, all-red auroras are produced by high-altitude oxygen, at heights of up to 200 miles. Nitrogen produces blue or purplish-red aurora that are not seen all too often.
Weather-wise, the Northern Lights tend to come out during a crisp, clear night when it is dark out. Aurora chasers come out in the thousands in the winter, especially in Alaska and the Artic Circle. It is generally the perfect time to see the Northern Lights. Though, even on the clearest nights when you would think you’ll see the lights dancing, it could be a “dud”.
Always be ready to capture the Northern Lights, you never know when they will be putting on a show for you. The aurora is rich with spiritual traditions, with most involving the spirits of the departed. The Inuit call the aurora '“aksarnirq” and believe that souls of the dead dance in the aurora. Whether you believe in spiritual connections, or just enjoy a captivating experience, always remember that Mother Nature is powerful!
How many glaciers are in Alaska and how are they formed?
There is no exact answer for the amount of glaciers in Alaska. Not long ago, a glaciologist estimated that there are over 100,000 glaciers in Alaska alone! According to the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), there are approximately 664 glaciers in Alaska that are officially named. The largest being Bering Glacier that currently terminates in Vitus Lake south of Alaska's Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, about 6.25miles or 10 km from the Gulf of Alaska.
You can see glaciers from afar over several parts of Alaska, like on the drive from Delta Junction to Valdez, AK. You can also get up close, even on top of, many glaciers as well! The Worthington Glacier in Valdez, AK has an overlook and trails to walk up to the sides of part of the glacier, and the glacial river. It is amazing to be able to see the blue colored ice up close!
Glaciers are massive bodies of slow moving ice. They form on land, and are made up of fallen snow that gets compressed into ice over many centuries. They move slowly downward from the pull of gravity.
The climate conditions that form glaciers are ideal in Alaska where there are regions of high snowfall in the winter and summers are cool enough to prevent all of the accumulated snow from melting or evaporating. A glacier grows as the snow accumulates over time, compresses into ice, and begins to flow under the pressure of its own weight. As a glacier nears the end of its cycle, it retreats, dramatically changing the face of the earth it leaves behind.
How big are moose and are they really as dangerous as people say?
Any time you see a moose on television, movies, or even in photos, you can only take a guess at how big they actually are. As large as they seem in photos, and as large as they appear to anyone who gets the opportunity to lay eyes on one in person, their true scale might still be under-estimated. Since moving to Alaska and seeing these big guys and gals up close, it has changed that mental image completely!
Being the largest member of the deer family, the adult male, or bull moose, average seven to eight feet tall at the shoulder and can weigh as much as 1,200 to 1,600 pounds (542–725 kg). The females, or cow moose stand a bit smaller, but not by much, and weigh in at around 800 to 1,300 pounds (364–591 kg). Heavy-bodied with a hump on their shoulder, moose have large, almost horse-like heads, with a flap of skin that hangs beneath the chin. We have a running joke in my family, calling the flap of skin beneath the moose’s chin a “dangily doobob”. Ha!
If you're looking at a full grown bull moose with its head held high at around 10 feet, it's probably about the size of a basketball hoop!
They are very dangerous animals, especially when provoked, and in mating season when the newborn calves are with the mothers. The mothers become extremely territorial and will charge at you if you are too close for her comfort. They also become aggressive during harsh winters when food is sparce. Being herbivores, trying to find food in the winter can be a strenuous task at times. As much as I would love to go up and pet on them, leave them be and always take pictures from afar!
What other kind of wildlife is in Alaska?
Alaska is known as The Last Frontier, and is greatly populated which much more wildlife than people. Folks travel from around the world to view Alaska's Big 5: bear, moose, Dall sheep, wolf, and caribou, along with impressive marine mammals like humpback whales, orcas, and gray whales.
Bear: Alaska is home to three main types of bear, brown, black, and polar bear. Alaska contains about 98% of the U.S. brown bear population and 70% of the total North American population. An estimated 30,000 brown bears live in Alaska. The brown bear is the top predator of Alaska.
Black bear are much smaller than the brown bear. They are widely scattered over Alaska, and pose more of a problem to humans because they come in close contact with them on a regular basis in towns, camps, backyards, and streets because of their curiosity and easy food sources such as garbage.
Polar bears do exist in Alaska, and they are more concentrated along the Arctic coastlines up north.
Moose: You can read all about moose and how big they are in the column to the left.
Dall sheep: Dall sheep live, rest, and feed in the mountain regions of Alaska where there is rocky terrain and steep, inclined land. They are occasionally seen below their usual high elevation only when food is scarce. The most common name for the male Dall sheep is a "ram", distinguishable from the female due to the ram’s curling horns.
Wolves: The pelt color of Alaska wolves ranges from black to nearly white, with every shade of gray and tan in between. Gray or black wolves are most common, and the relative abundance of each color phase varies over time and from place to place. Most adult male wolves in Interior Alaska weigh from 85 to 115 pounds or 38.6-52.3, but they occasionally reach 145 pounds or 65.3 kg. Females average 10 to 15 pounds or 2-5 kg lighter than males and rarely weigh more than 110 pounds or 50 kg.
Caribou: Caribou in Alaska are abundant; currently there are an estimated 950,000 in the state. Caribou are large-scale migratory animals and have been known to travel up to 50 miles or 80 km a day. Caribou in Alaska generally are found in tundra and mountain regions, where there are few trees. However, many herds spend the winter months in the areas.
Marine Wildlife: Beluga whales may be seen spring, summer, and fall in the chilly Alaskan waters of the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, Prince William Sound, Glacier Bay and throughout the Inside Passage of Southeast Alaska. June and July are the best months to see them feed by bubble-netting where a group of whales will blow a net of bubbles to surround and confuse their prey then swim through the center, jaws wide, to scoop up the food.
Orca whales, also known as Killer whales in Alaska are either residents or transients. These groups are genetically different and have distinct foraging and social behaviors and vocalizations. Resident killer whales feed on fish, primarily salmon. They are very vocal and have sophisticated calls. Transients feed on marine mammals, like sea lions. Because marine mammals can hear echolocation sounds and whale vocalizations, transient killer whales tend to be very quiet and usually vocalize only after making a kill.
Gray whales are the only large whales that can be regularly observed in large numbers from Alaska’s shores. Gray whales get their name from their slate gray coloration with gray and white patches on the skin. Adult males average 45-46ft or 13.7-14m in length with adult females being slightly larger. The average weight is 30-40 tons or 27215.5-36287.4kg for both sexes. This is one of the earth’s most ancient species of mammals, and is estimated to have been on Earth for about 30 million years.
How much of Alaska is developed? Can you drive to every town in Alaska?
Looking at Alaska on a map, you can see just how big the state is compared to other states of the U.S., but only until you start looking closer can you see that there is millions of acres of land that is not developed.
Alaska is the last great wilderness in the United States. Civilization has only encroached on about 160,000 acres of its 365 million acres. This is less than 1/20th of 1 percent of the State, the rest is still untouched wilderness. About 95% of National Park Service land in Alaska has some wilderness protection, and accounts for about 30% of the nation's wilderness.
The oil and gas industry is the largest component of Alaska's economy. Nearly 85 percent of the state budget is supplied by oil revenues. The next largest components are made up of coal, gold, precious metals, zinc and other mining, seafood processing, timber and wood products. There is also a growing service and tourism sector.
Alaska ranks 47th among U.S. States in population. With only around 710,000 people living in the entire state, compare that to the 37 million in California!
Most of the developed larger towns and cities in Alaska you can drive to on maintained roads. There are many roads not maintained throughout the winter due to populated areas and the amount of resources to keep up with the winter weather. There are several small towns called villages where Native Alaskans live, work, and play that you can only get to by flying. Believe it or not, owning and flying bush planes is a normal Alaskan thing to do!
Can I ride a train to Alaska and back?
Unfortunately, there is no rail connection through Canada to Alaska, but there are plenty of amazing ways to get here. There are four main ways to reach Alaska. By flying, by cruise ship, using the state ferry system or by driving the Alaska Highway through Canada.
Even though there is no connecting trains through Canada to Alaska, The Alaska Railroad has amazing trips connecting Anchorage to Seward, Whittier, Talkeetna, Denali National Park and Fairbanks. You can learn more about railroad tours throughout Alaska.
The Alaska Marine Highway System is a state-operated ferry system. Many ships and routes make up the system. Summer service between Bellingham, Washington and Whittier, Alaska is the most direct route into Anchorage, and is usually served by the m/v Kennicott between April and the end of September.
One-way cruises through lines like Royal Caribbean and Princess Cruises depart Vancouver, British Columbia, travel the Inside Passage in Southeast Alaska, and into Southcentral Alaska and the Anchorage area.
One final, and long way to travel to Alaska is to travel from the U.S. through Canada and into Alaska on the Alcan Highway. The route traverses British Columbia and Yukon Territory before entering Alaska near. Keep in mind, you’ll need your passport if you chose to drive, both to enter Canada and to re-enter the U.S. at the Alaska border.
My all-time favorite question, “Do you REALLY live in North Pole and are you neighbors with Santa Claus?”
This always makes Adam and I laugh when people ask us if we really do live in North Pole, or if we are neighbors with Santa Claus. The answer is always “Yes!”
Our small town of North Pole, Alaska has a population of around 2,300 people. The town is only a 15 minute drive south of Fairbanks and is known for its year-round Christmas decorations, including candy cane–striped street lights. Streets have names like Kris Kringle Drive and Mistletoe Lane. The town comes alive in December with the annual Winter Festival, which draws crowds with activities, ice sculptures, and fireworks. During this time of year, it’s not unusual for national TV newscasts to broadcast live from the Santa Claus House. At the North Pole Post Office (located on South Santa Claus Lane, of course), more than 400,000 pieces of mail arrive annually simply addressed to “Santa Claus, North Pole, Alaska.”
Santa Claus House, pictured above, is a beautiful store that captures the attention of all who travel to and through North Pole. The store holds endless aisles of Christmas ornaments and toys, a 42-foot-high statue of Santa overlooking the Richardson Highway, and walls covered with Dear Santa letters from children around the world. Santa and Mrs. Claus are there in person as well! You can even have a beautiful, personalized Letter from Santa sent to each of your kiddos!
Santa truly is our neighbor!
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