Why does the sun not set in alaska?
Located near the top half of the northern hemisphere, Alaska is subject to long summer days the area faces towards the sun. As the Earth continues to rotate, the northern hemisphere, specifically Alaska, remains facing the sun, creating nearly 24-hours of daylight.
1. Alaska Gets Six Months of 24-Hour Sunlight and Darkness. Interestingly, this myth was perpetrated by our science books for many years. Only the furthest north and south points have equal parts daylight and darkness throughout the year, and Alaska isn't north enough to experience six months of either extreme.
For roughly two months of the year – those months surrounding the summer solstice – Alaskans enjoy daylight 24 hours a day.
Your distance from the equator will determine just how much daylight you lose as you approach the shortest day of the year, Dec. 21. Since Alaska is so far north, we experience an exaggerated version of solstice – this is why people are sometimes led to believe that it is always dark, or always light.
In the Far North, the sun doesn't set for months! Some people think Alaska has less sunlight than other places. The opposite is true. Averaged over an entire year, Alaska gets 10-17 minutes more daylight per day than the rest of the country.
In fact, the northernmost city in America – Utqiaġvik, Alaska, formerly known as Barrow – has near-constant darkness from mid- to late November until late January because the sun never rises during that 60-plus-day period. Hours of daylight (sunrise to sunset) on the winter solstice.
The town of Utqiaġvik, Alaska — the northernmost town in the US — experiences a polar night every year, beginning in mid-November and ending in mid-January. That means that once the sun sets in November, residents won't see daylight for two months.
Places in the world with the most daylight hours
According to the World Meteorological Organization, Yuma (Arizona) is the sunniest place on earth. It has a total of 11 hours of sunlight in winter and up to 13 in summer. This means Yuma experiences an average of 4,015 hours of sunshine per year.
Summer In Alaska
By July, daytime temperatures in the Interior can average in the 70° F range—although it has been known to reach well into the 90s—while temperatures in the coastal areas and higher elevations rarely get above 65° F.
Dates are based on the Gregorian calendar. The June solstice (summer solstice) in Anchorage is at 6:57 am on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. In terms of daylight, this day is 13 hours, 54 minutes longer than the December solstice. In most locations north of the equator, the longest day of the year is around this date.
Can you drive a car to Alaska?
'Can you drive to Alaska from the United States? ' is a common question among travel enthusiasts. As someone who has driven there and back, I can say that it's totally possible. In fact, people from all across the US except Hawaii can drive to this beautiful state through the Alaska Highway.
Many believe that Alaska only has two weather conditions: cold and freezing cold. Contrary to popular beliefs, Alaska is pretty warm in the winter season (May to September). Temperatures can warm-up from 70°F (21.1°C) to 100°F (37.8°C), depending on the location.
Winter temperatures in Alaska range from 0°F / -18°C to -30°F / -35°C from November to March. Finally, while it can rain throughout Alaska's summer, May is often the driest month in Alaska, and September is typically the wettest.
Winter is long—October through April—snowy and cold.
If you add up all of the daylight throughout the course of the year, every place in Alaska receives more daylight than every place in the Lower 48. There are two reasons for this.
According to our State of Safety survey, Alaskans have a low level of concern about their overall safety (40%) and are more likely to feel safe in their state than the average American (53% AK, 50% US). They're also the least likely Americans to think that crime is increasing (61%).
For instance, it's a common notion that Iceland is dark for months, if not half the year. The idea is that, with its location along the arctic circle, the sun simply sets one day and six months of darkness unfold.
Alaska Weather in July:
Coastal temperature in Alaska in July: 50-65 degrees & 18 hours of daylight. Interior temperature in Alaska in July: 50-70 degrees & 19 hours of daylight. Arctic temperature in Alaska in July: 33-45 degrees & nearly 24 hours of daylight.
The North Pole stays in full sunlight all day long throughout the entire summer (unless there are clouds), and this is the reason that the Arctic is called the land of the "Midnight Sun"*.
A gallon of milk costs $4.02 in Alaska, on average.
Is Alaska a good place to live?
Alaska has high wages, good job opportunities, an abundance of nature and incredibly friendly people. However, Alaska also has long cold winters, a high cost of living and is very isolated. Ultimately it comes down to you as an individual to assess how you would handle the challenges of living in Alaska.
Even though residents of Barrow, the northernmost town in Alaska, won't see the sun for 67 days come winter, they enjoy the midnight sun all summer - over 80 days of uninterrupted daylight.
Alaska. This is the country where sun never sets from late May to late July. Beautiful and breathtaking, the country is in darkness in the harsh months of winter. Known for its spectacular glaciers and snow-capped mountains; you can go hiking or sightseeing.
North of the Arctic Circle, periods of constant sunshine last for up to six months of the year at the North Pole. The opposite is also true for parts of the year, though. Above the Arctic Circle, the sun never rises on the day of the winter solstice (usually around December 21).
Alaska. Many consider Alaska to be the cloudiest state in the nation, but actually, the majority of Alaska gets just as much sun as the Great Plains. The shore along the Gulf of Alaska, however, is an entirely different story. Juneau, for instance, averages just 44 days of sun per year.
The cost of living in Alaska is 29% higher than the national average. Housing is 18% higher than the national average, while utilities are 36% higher. When it comes to basic necessities such as food and clothing, groceries are around 30% higher than in the rest of the country, while clothing costs 30% higher.
Empty, remote, pristine, and often backed by dense forest, Alaska's beaches are a joy to explore. On warm summer days, you can swim from many of its beaches, although it's better to have backup activities in mind if you're not used to cool water.
The lowest Alaska temperature is −80 °F (−62.2 °C) in Prospect Creek on January 23, 1971, 1 °F (0.6 °C) above the lowest temperature recorded in continental North America (in Snag, Yukon, Canada).
Located near the top half of the northern hemisphere, Alaska is subject to long summer days the area faces towards the sun. As the Earth continues to rotate, the northern hemisphere, specifically Alaska, remains facing the sun, creating nearly 24-hours of daylight.
Alaska is known for its wide-open spaces, abundant outdoor experiences, and Alaskan Native culture. Alaska is also one of the best places in the world in which to view the Northern Lights. From the mountains to the sea fjords, and Alaska's vast interior terrain, the 49th state is a photographer's dream.
How long is Alaska daily on?
Alaska Daily is an American crime drama television series created by Tom McCarthy for ABC, starring Hilary Swank as a journalist seeking a fresh start in Anchorage, Alaska. It premiered on October 6, 2022 and ended on March 30, 2023. In May 2023, the series was canceled after one season.
U.S. citizens flying between another state and Alaska do not need a passport. However, those driving through Canada or traveling on a ferry or cruise ship with stops in Canada are required to carry one.
You do not need a passport to drive to Alaska, thanks to the relaxed immigration policies between Canada and the U.S. You only need to prove your U.S. citizenship when entering and leaving Canada.
ALASKA DRIVING RULES
The maximum speed limit is 65 mph, however be prepared for average speeds when calculating distances.
While Alaska is one of the drier states overall, in Ketchikan you're looking at an average annual rainfall of between 140 and 160 inches per year. Precipitation comes fairly evenly throughout the year, with more during the fall and winter months.
Despite what you may have heard, Alaska experiences all four seasons. And Alaska summers can be warm! Summer runs from May to August and while that may seem short, it brings mild, warm temperatures to the region. Depending on where you're at in the state, summer temperatures can even be classified as hot!
In general, however, the climate is bearable, with an average in January (the coldest month) of 14° F.
What is the coldest place in the world? It is a high ridge in Antarctica on the East Antarctic Plateau where temperatures in several hollows can dip below minus 133.6° Fahrenheit (minus 92° Celsius) on a clear winter night - colder than the previous recorded low temperature.
You might be surprised to see that our most northern state tops this list, but there's a reason that Alaska has the highest Relative Humidity (RH). Alaska has an average RH of 77%. The next highest state, Florida, comes in around 74% average RH.
Average Cost of Living in Alaska: $54,331 per year
(Hawaii had the highest cost of living in the whole country.) To put a number on it, the average total personal consumption cost in Alaska is $54,331 per year, according to 2021 data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis .
What is the coldest Alaska has ever been?
The lowest temperature ever recorded in the U.S. was minus 80 degrees in Prospect Creek, Alaska, north of Fairbanks, on Jan. 23, 1971.
Most of the precipitation, even in the winter months, occurs in the form of rain. Some snow, mixed with rain, may fall as early as October. Snow has fallen in all months of the year except June, July, and August. However, appreciable snowfalls seldom occur after late March or before late November.
Cloaked in blankets of white snow and days of little sunshine, winter is a long season in Alaska. In the two most populated areas, snow generally is present from late October through early April. Alaska's second largest town, Fairbanks, will reach temperatures of -50 Fahrenheit nearly every winter.
The angle of the sun at Alaska's high latitude — lower in the sky and present nearly around the clock — is a big factor, Brettschneider said. “The sun angle's lower, so the sun is physically shining on more of your body,” he said.
The sunniest state of all: Arizona
There's a reason why so many people migrate to Arizona and don't fly back for the winter. Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff are all in the top 25 sunniest cities in the US, and Phoenix ranks #1 with an annual sunshine rate of 85.8%.
Alaska's incentive program dates back to 1976, and it's called the Permanent Fund Dividend. How much do you get paid to live in Alaska, though? In the past, citizens have qualified for up to $1,600 for simply living in Alaska, and in 2022 the amount was $3,284.
If you move to Alaska without a guaranteed paycheck, you're going to need some savings to take care of your basic needs on arrival: food, shelter, and transportation. Make sure to sock away at least three months' worth of savings before you make the move to Alaska. Six months' would be ideal (if you can swing it)!
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.
The polar night is caused by the rotation of the earth in relation to the position of the sun. The earth rotates on a titled axis of around 23.5 degrees. As a result of this axial tilt, there are periods of the year where the Arctic Circle and the Antarctic Circle are either completely exposed or obscured from the sun.
Why doesn t Alaska get dark in summer?
The reason the sun does not set in Alaska for more than 2 months is because of Earth's axial tilt. The axial tilt causes the seasons and determines when places like Alaska are exposed to the sun.
The only place in the southern hemisphere to experience polar nights is on Antarctica. In the northern hemisphere, apart from Norway, there are parts of Sweden, Finland, Russia, Canada and the US (Alaska) and Greenland.
Polar night is a phenomenon in the northernmost and southernmost regions of Earth where night lasts for more than 24 hours. This occurs only inside the polar circles.
While weather in Alaska can sometimes be a bit unpredictable, the summer season (mid-June through mid-August) is usually the mildest and warmest time of our year, especially in the Interior, where temperatures can reach well above 80°F / 27°C and when it is not uncommon to see temperatures reach 90°F / 33° C in ...
The earth is rotating at a tilted axis relative to the sun, and during the summer months, the North Pole is angled towards our star. That's why, for several weeks, the sun never sets above the Arctic Circle. Svalbard is the place in Norway where the midnight sun occurs for the longest period.
Svalbard, Norway (for the Polar Night)
According to the official tourism board for Svalbard, the only natural light sources during that time are the moon, the stars, and the aurora.
Norway, situated in the Arctic Circle, is called the Land of the Midnight Sun, where from May to late July, the sun actually never sets.
It will return and then during the summer when it won't set for days.” Darkness lays over Utqiagvik, a constant sight during the town's 65-day polar night. The northern third of Alaska lies above the Arctic Circle, the ring of latitude that encircles the frigid Arctic polar region.
Even though residents of Barrow, the northernmost town in Alaska, won't see the sun for 67 days come winter, they enjoy the midnight sun all summer - over 80 days of uninterrupted daylight.
On Svalbard, a cluster of islands between Norway and the North Pole, people wear headlamps day and night for two-and-a-half months of the year. That's because it's Polar Night — the period where the sun doesn't rise above the horizon in the Arctic.
