SOUTHEAST: CLIMATE AND WEATHER

In this region of Alaska, summers are mild, with fre-
quent rains and long periods of overcast. Winters are
also mild, with temperatures above or near freezing.
Although it varies from community to community, preci-
pitation is generally heavy -- ranging from 30 inches a
year to an estimated 400 inches per year. Ketchikan is
probably the dampest!  October is consistently the wet-
test month, while clear days occur most frequently from
February through June. Fog occurs the entire year, but
is most likely in late ummer and early winter.  Snow
often falls wet and heavy. Winds are generally light in
protected valleys, but they are almost constant, and
frequently strong, along the coast. Skagway probably
is the windiest city in Southeast. The Panhandle (as
this region is often called) has short, dark nights in
June and longer winter days than experienced farther
north.  Juneau's average (mean) temperatures are low
of 20 and high of 28 degrees F in January and low of
47 and high of 62 degrees F in July.