Any rain in Alaska

[highseasme]

Hey fellow cruisers,
I am sailing northbound Vancouver to Anchorage July 30th. Weather forcasts shows lots of showers. Anyone sailing now who can give details? Periodic light rain or all day showers requiring full rain gear?

[Donna]

You will be traveling in a rain forest, so you can always expect some...As to how much, anyone's guess, but plan to see some, hopefully not enough to ruin a day's activities. I always pack some kind of rain gear when cruising up there...Its also a little far out to acurately predict the weather, so certainly, don't stress over it.

[JHawk]

We checked the Alaska forecast all week before sailing...and most ports said 60% chance of rain. But in reality, we only had one day of rain when we got there. (We got lucky!)

So you can't necessarily use this week's result for next week's forecast. All advisors say to wear layers and pack rainwear when going to Alaska - good advice.

[Mike M]

Always take rain gear with you. I've used a Columbia rain suit that rolled up and was easily stored in a backpack. I have only used it once in Juneau but it made my whale watching excursion memorable. My wife and I were the ones on the upper deck getting great pictures and views of the whales while the rest of the people were pressed up against fogged windows trying to see.

Take care,
Mike

[highseasme]

Thanks for the info. Will pack rain ponchos and shell jackets as planned. I was thrown off by weather site forecasting rain in all ports over a 5 day period. Regardless of the weather, I can't wait to visit Alaska...floatplanes, helicopters and glaciers in 10 days....

[Pelagic]

Just got back from 7 day trip on Sapphire Princess out of Seattle. We had near 70 degree day at Ketchikan with bright blue skies with zero clouds (guess that does not happen often). Juneau was cloudy, overcast, and breezy.......rain at Mendenhall Glacier. Skagway was somewhat overcast but VERY windy. Definitely need waterproof windbreaker type jacket.

[kobesam]

Hm let me look out the window. It is misty right now but it is supposed to clear up and be sunny all week.

[SusanMarie]

Is it often rainy in Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan also??? I need to know if we need rain coats or ponchos? I don't want to pack stuff we don't need...:-)

Susan

[sptrout]

Originally Posted by SusanMarie

Is it often rainy in Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan also??? I need to know if we need rain coats or ponchos? I don't want to pack stuff we don't need...:-)

Susan

Yes, yes, and yes, but you never know, which is the reason you have to be prepared for nearly everything; wet, dry, cool/cold, or hot. Weather makes packing for Alaska a real challenge.

The thing to do IMO is to check the National Weather Service's web page the week before you leave to get an idea of what their forcast is for the week you will be in Alaska.

[Donna]

Sue,
You will need to bring along some kind of rain gear, it almost a sure thing that you will see some, even a waterproof jacket will work.

[Flying Beagle]

Just got back from the Inside Passage. 5 out of the 7 days called for showers... we had none. Weather was excellent and downright gorgeous in Glacier Bay and Ketchikan. Couldn't have asked for more!