Southcentral Alaska enjoys fairly mild temperatures year around, thanks to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean. In addition, Anchorage is sheltered by mountains on all sides so windy conditions are rare (not unheard of, just uncommon).

Typical summer high temperatures in the Anchorage area are in the 60s or low 70s. If the temperature hits 80, it’s a major news story in the Anchorage Daily News. But in the absence of wind, 60 is comfortable. And remember that summer days are very long. In late June it doesn’t get really dark at night. People are still doing yard work at midnight and, on the Fourth of July, the fireworks aren’t set off until after midnight. (Meaning, of course, that we celebrate the Fourth on the Fifth.)

Winters around Anchorage are mild, too. Snowfalls are as gentle as the summer rain. But, if you want lots of snow, Buffalo, New York, or Valdez, Alaska, is a better bet. Temperatures stay pretty much in the teens (Fahrenheit, that is) from November through March with perhaps one or two cold snaps when temperatures drop below zero during that period. The average high temperature in early February, for example, is in the low 20s (Fahrenheit), providing pleasant conditions for cross-country and downhill skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling. Winter days are short; in December when they’re shortest, the sun rises after 10 a.m. and sets around 3:30 p.m.

Occasionally, as in late January and early February 1999, the winter weather provides some surprises. A chinook wind blew through in late January, raising temperatures from the minus teens to about 40 above in just a few hours. Then the cold snap returned, keeping temperatures below zero for days and setting a record on Feb. 3 when the high was -13 Fahrenheit and the low was -25. The National Weather Service reported that the high eclipsed the previous record of -12 for coldest high for that date, set in 1947. The normal temperatures for that date are a high of 23 and low of 10. Usually, if you want to experience real cold, you have better luck in Fairbanks, about 375 miles to the north, where it can get to 40 below or lower (the high there Feb. 3 was -39 and the low -49).

Alaska is a pretty informal place. Casual clothes are acceptable almost anywhere and sweaters come in handy year-around. If you’re a man, you could wear jeans and a sports shirt to a Broadway touring company performance at the Anchorage Performing Arts Center without being stared at, although most people would be wearing sports coats or suits. But chances are you’re not coming to Alaska to see “Cats” or “Phantom of the Opera.” If you’re coming in the summer, you’ll want to pack a jacket. In the winter, you’ll want a heavier coat. A parka would be overdoing it, however. I bought a parka years ago and there are winters where I never take it out of the closet (I was wearing it this Feb. 2 though).

You might want to make that jacket a waterproof one. After three or four summers that seem mostly sunny, we’ll get one that seems mostly rainy. And some popular places to visit such as Portage Glacier and Seward are especially prone to rainy conditions. A rain hat is probably a good idea, but the umbrella can stay at home. Anchorage rainfalls are gentle; in windier places (Portage Glacier often is), an umbrella would be blown inside out in no time.