NORTHWEST: CLIMATE AND WEATHER

The flat, treeless plain bordering the Bering Sea north
of the Alaska Peninsula and continuing northward to
Point Hope on the Chukchi Sea has a climate controlled
by the nearness of open ocean. This means cool summers,
with considerable cloudiness, fog, and drizzle near the
coast. As you move inland, winters tend to be long and
severe, while summers are short and intense. Despite
extensive overcast, precipitation is light. Summer
showers (usually in August) bring the most precipita-
tion. Snow, sometimes wet and heavy, falls from late
September to May. Winds blow moderately and steadily
along the coast, frequently reaching gale force. Temp-
eratures in the summer can be in the 80's (F.), while
winter temperatures dip as low as -50 degrees F.