1. WeatherSpark.com
  2. United States
  3. Alaska

Climate and Average Weather Year Round at Soldotna Airport Alaska, United States

At Soldotna Airport, the summers are cool and mostly cloudy and the winters are freezing, snowy, and partly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 9°F to 64°F and is rarely below -16°F or above 71°F.

Based on the tourism score, the best time of year to visit Soldotna Airport for warm-weather activities is from mid July to early August.

Climate at Soldotna Airport

freezingvery coldcoldcoolcoldfreezingJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNowNow48%48%39%39%overcastclearprecipitation: 4.2 inprecipitation: 4.2 in1.1 in1.1 inmuggy: 0%muggy: 0%drydrytourism score: 2.7tourism score: 2.70.00.0
Soldotna Airport weather by month. Click on each chart for more information.

The warm season lasts for 3.8 months, from May 20 to September 13, with an average daily high temperature above 56°F. The hottest month of the year at Soldotna Airport is July, with an average high of 64°F and low of 48°F.

The cold season lasts for 3.5 months, from November 9 to February 23, with an average daily high temperature below 31°F. The coldest month of the year at Soldotna Airport is January, with an average low of 9°F and high of 23°F.

Average High and Low Temperature at Soldotna Airport

Average High and Low Temperature at Soldotna AirportwarmcoldcoldJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec-20°F-20°F-10°F-10°F0°F0°F10°F10°F20°F20°F30°F30°F40°F40°F50°F50°F60°F60°F70°F70°F80°F80°F90°F90°F100°F100°FJan 1923°FJan 1923°FJul 1964°FJul 1964°F9°F9°F48°F48°FMay 2056°FMay 2056°FSep 1356°FSep 1356°FNov 931°FNov 931°FFeb 2331°FFeb 2331°F36°F36°F40°F40°F18°F18°F12°F12°FNowNow
The daily average high (red line) and low (blue line) temperature, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted lines are the corresponding average perceived temperatures.
AverageJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
High 23°F29°F36°F45°F55°F61°F64°F63°F55°F42°F29°F23°F
Temp. 15°F19°F25°F35°F45°F52°F56°F54°F47°F34°F21°F17°F
Low 9°F11°F17°F27°F35°F43°F48°F46°F39°F28°F15°F11°F

The figure below shows you a compact characterization of the entire year of hourly average temperatures. The horizontal axis is the day of the year, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the color is the average temperature for that hour and day.

Average Hourly Temperature at Soldotna Airport

Average Hourly Temperature at Soldotna AirportJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AMNowNowfrigidfreezingfreezingvery coldvery coldcoldcoolfrigid
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The average hourly temperature, color coded into bands. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.

Bredbyn, Sweden (3,860 miles away) is the far-away foreign place with temperatures most similar to Soldotna Airport (view comparison).

Map
Marker
© OpenStreetMap contributors

Compare Soldotna Airport to another city:

Map

The clearest month of the year at Soldotna Airport is March, during which on average the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 48% of the time.

The cloudiest month of the year at Soldotna Airport is December, during which on average the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy 60% of the time.

Cloud Cover Categories at Soldotna Airport

Cloud Cover Categories at Soldotna AirportJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%Mar 1548%Mar 1548%Dec 1739%Dec 1739%NowNowclearmostly clearpartly cloudymostly cloudyovercast
0% clear 20% mostly clear 40% partly cloudy 60% mostly cloudy 80% overcast 100%
The percentage of time spent in each cloud cover band, categorized by the percentage of the sky covered by clouds.
FractionJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Cloudier 58%56%52%56%56%57%57%54%56%54%56%60%
Clearer 42%44%48%44%44%43%43%46%44%46%44%40%

A wet day is one with at least 0.04 inches of liquid or liquid-equivalent precipitation. The chance of wet days at Soldotna Airport varies throughout the year.

The wetter season lasts 6.4 months, from July 18 to February 1, with a greater than 31% chance of a given day being a wet day. The month with the most wet days at Soldotna Airport is September, with an average of 12.4 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

The drier season lasts 5.5 months, from February 1 to July 18. The month with the fewest wet days at Soldotna Airport is April, with an average of 6.0 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

Among wet days, we distinguish between those that experience rain alone, snow alone, or a mixture of the two. Based on this categorization, the most common form of precipitation at Soldotna Airport changes throughout the year.

Rain alone is the most common for 7.6 months, from March 18 to November 5. The month with the most days of rain alone at Soldotna Airport is September, with an average of 12.2 days.

Snow alone is the most common for 4.4 months, from November 5 to March 18. The month with the most days of snow alone at Soldotna Airport is December, with an average of 6.7 days.

Daily Chance of Precipitation at Soldotna Airport

Daily Chance of Precipitation at Soldotna AirportsnowrainsnowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Sep 2743%Sep 2743%May 819%May 819%Mar 1821%Mar 1821%Nov 532%Nov 532%Jul 1831%Jul 1831%Feb 131%Feb 131%NowNowsnowrainmixed
The percentage of days in which various types of precipitation are observed, excluding trace quantities: rain alone, snow alone, and mixed (both rain and snow fell in the same day).
Days ofJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Rain 1.8d1.8d2.5d4.3d6.2d7.0d9.4d11.6d12.2d8.7d2.8d1.5d
Mixed 2.3d2.1d1.5d1.1d0.2d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.1d1.5d2.1d2.2d
Snow 6.0d4.4d2.7d0.6d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d1.2d4.8d6.7d
Any 10.2d8.3d6.7d6.0d6.4d7.0d9.4d11.6d12.4d11.4d9.7d10.4d

To show variation within the months and not just the monthly totals, we show the rainfall accumulated over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day of the year. Soldotna Airport experiences significant seasonal variation in monthly rainfall.

Rain falls throughout the year at Soldotna Airport. The month with the most rain at Soldotna Airport is September, with an average rainfall of 4.2 inches.

The month with the least rain at Soldotna Airport is March, with an average rainfall of 0.6 inches.

Average Monthly Rainfall at Soldotna Airport

The average rainfall (solid line) accumulated over the course of a sliding 31-day period centered on the day in question, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted line is the corresponding average snowfall.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Rainfall 0.7″0.6″0.6″0.9″1.3″1.7″2.5″3.5″4.2″2.8″1.1″0.7″

Snowfall

As with rainfall, we consider the snowfall accumulated over a sliding 31-day period centered around each day of the year. Soldotna Airport experiences extreme seasonal variation in monthly snowfall.

The snowy period of the year lasts for 6.9 months, from September 29 to April 26, with a sliding 31-day snowfall of at least 1.0 inches. The month with the most snow at Soldotna Airport is December, with an average snowfall of 15.6 inches.

The snowless period of the year lasts for 5.1 months, from April 26 to September 29. The least snow falls around July 23, with an average total accumulation of 0.0 inches.

Average Monthly Snowfall at Soldotna Airport

Average Monthly Snowfall at Soldotna AirportsnowsnowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 in0 in5 in5 in10 in10 in15 in15 in20 in20 in25 in25 in30 in30 inDec 2215.8 inDec 2215.8 inJul 230.0 inJul 230.0 inSep 291.0 inSep 291.0 inApr 261.0 inApr 261.0 inNowNow
The average snowfall (solid line) accumulated over the course of a sliding 31-day period centered on the day in question, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands. The thin dotted line is the corresponding average rainfall.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Snowfall 13.6″10.4″6.2″1.9″0.2″0.0″0.0″0.0″0.2″3.9″12.0″15.6″

The length of the day at Soldotna Airport varies extremely over the course of the year. In 2024, the shortest day is December 21, with 5 hours, 43 minutes of daylight; the longest day is June 20, with 19 hours, 3 minutes of daylight.

Hours of Daylight and Twilight at Soldotna Airport

Hours of Daylight and Twilight at Soldotna AirportJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 hr24 hr4 hr20 hr8 hr16 hr12 hr12 hr16 hr8 hr20 hr4 hr24 hr0 hr12 hr, 12 minMar 1912 hr, 12 minMar 1919 hr, 3 minJun 2019 hr, 3 minJun 2012 hr, 17 minSep 2212 hr, 17 minSep 225 hr, 43 minDec 215 hr, 43 minDec 21nightnightday
The number of hours during which the Sun is visible (black line). From bottom (most yellow) to top (most gray), the color bands indicate: full daylight, twilight (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and full night.
Hours ofJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight 6.7h9.2h11.9h14.8h17.4h18.9h18.0h15.5h12.8h10.0h7.4h5.9h

The earliest sunrise is at 4:34 AM on June 18, and the latest sunrise is 5 hours, 38 minutes later at 10:12 AM on December 26. The earliest sunset is at 3:52 PM on December 15, and the latest sunset is 7 hours, 45 minutes later at 11:37 PM on June 22.

Daylight saving time (DST) is observed at Soldotna Airport during 2024, starting in the spring on March 10, lasting 7.8 months, and ending in the fall on November 3.

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Saving Time at Soldotna Airport

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Saving Time at Soldotna AirportJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AM2 AMJun 184:34 AMJun 184:34 AM11:37 PMJun 2211:37 PMJun 22Dec 153:52 PMDec 153:52 PM10:12 AMDec 2610:12 AMDec 26Mar 10DSTMar 10DSTDSTNov 3DSTNov 3daynightnightnightnightSolarMidnightSolarMidnightSolarNoonSunriseSunset
The solar day over the course of the year 2024. From bottom to top, the black lines are the previous solar midnight, sunrise, solar noon, sunset, and the next solar midnight. The day, twilights (civil, nautical, and astronomical), and night are indicated by the color bands from yellow to gray. The transitions to and from daylight saving time are indicated by the 'DST' labels.

The figure below presents a compact representation of the sun's elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon) and azimuth (its compass bearing) for every hour of every day in the reporting period. The horizontal axis is the day of the year and the vertical axis is the hour of the day. For a given day and hour of that day, the background color indicates the azimuth of the sun at that moment. The black isolines are contours of constant solar elevation.

Solar Elevation and Azimuth at Soldotna Airport

Solar Elevation and Azimuth at Soldotna AirportJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM12 AM2 AM2 AM4 AM4 AM6 AM6 AM8 AM8 AM10 AM10 AM12 PM12 PM2 PM2 PM4 PM4 PM6 PM6 PM8 PM8 PM10 PM10 PM12 AM12 AM0001010102020303040500001010102020203030404050653NowNow
northeastsouthwest
Solar elevation and azimuth over the course of the year 2024. The black lines are lines of constant solar elevation (the angle of the sun above the horizon, in degrees). The background color fills indicate the azimuth (the compass bearing) of the sun. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries of the cardinal compass points indicate the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

The figure below presents a compact representation of key lunar data for 2024. The horizontal axis is the day, the vertical axis is the hour of the day, and the colored areas indicate when the moon is above the horizon. The vertical gray bars (new Moons) and blue bars (full Moons) indicate key Moon phases.

Moon Rise, Set & Phases at Soldotna Airport

The time in which the moon is above the horizon (light blue area), with new moons (dark gray lines) and full moons (blue lines) indicated. The shaded overlays indicate night and civil twilight.

We base the humidity comfort level on the dew point, as it determines whether perspiration will evaporate from the skin, thereby cooling the body. Lower dew points feel drier and higher dew points feel more humid. Unlike temperature, which typically varies significantly between night and day, dew point tends to change more slowly, so while the temperature may drop at night, a muggy day is typically followed by a muggy night.

The perceived humidity level at Soldotna Airport, as measured by the percentage of time in which the humidity comfort level is muggy, oppressive, or miserable, does not vary significantly over the course of the year, remaining a virtually constant 0% throughout.

Humidity Comfort Levels at Soldotna Airport

Humidity Comfort Levels at Soldotna AirportJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Jul 20%Jul 20%NowNowdrydry
dry 55°F comfortable 60°F humid 65°F muggy 70°F oppressive 75°F miserable
The percentage of time spent at various humidity comfort levels, categorized by dew point.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Muggy days 0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d

This section discusses the wide-area hourly average wind vector (speed and direction) at 10 meters above the ground. The wind experienced at any given location is highly dependent on local topography and other factors, and instantaneous wind speed and direction vary more widely than hourly averages.

The average hourly wind speed at Soldotna Airport experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The windier part of the year lasts for 6.7 months, from September 15 to April 6, with average wind speeds of more than 7.3 miles per hour. The windiest month of the year at Soldotna Airport is January, with an average hourly wind speed of 9.2 miles per hour.

The calmer time of year lasts for 5.3 months, from April 6 to September 15. The calmest month of the year at Soldotna Airport is June, with an average hourly wind speed of 5.5 miles per hour.

Average Wind Speed at Soldotna Airport

Average Wind Speed at Soldotna AirportwindywindyJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 mph0 mph2 mph2 mph4 mph4 mph6 mph6 mph8 mph8 mph10 mph10 mph12 mph12 mph14 mph14 mphJan 89.2 mphJan 89.2 mphJun 265.3 mphJun 265.3 mphSep 157.3 mphSep 157.3 mphApr 67.3 mphApr 67.3 mphNowNow
The average of mean hourly wind speeds (dark gray line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Wind Speed (mph) 9.28.88.36.96.05.55.56.07.28.28.98.7

The predominant average hourly wind direction at Soldotna Airport varies throughout the year.

The wind is most often from the south for 4.2 months, from May 8 to September 14, with a peak percentage of 57% on July 17. The wind is most often from the north for 7.8 months, from September 14 to May 8, with a peak percentage of 47% on January 1.

Wind Direction at Soldotna Airport

Wind Direction at Soldotna AirportNSNJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%20%80%40%60%60%40%80%20%100%0%NowNowsoutheastnorthwest
northeastsouthwest
The percentage of hours in which the mean wind direction is from each of the four cardinal wind directions, excluding hours in which the mean wind speed is less than 1.0 mph. The lightly tinted areas at the boundaries are the percentage of hours spent in the implied intermediate directions (northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest).

Soldotna Airport is located near a large body of water (e.g., ocean, sea, or large lake). This section reports on the wide-area average surface temperature of that water.

The average water temperature experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The time of year with warmer water lasts for 3.1 months, from June 30 to October 1, with an average temperature above 50°F. The month of the year at Soldotna Airport with the warmest water is August, with an average temperature of 54°F.

The time of year with cooler water lasts for 5.5 months, from December 1 to May 15, with an average temperature below 37°F. The month of the year at Soldotna Airport with the coolest water is February, with an average temperature of 33°F.

Average Water Temperature at Soldotna Airport

Average Water Temperature at Soldotna AirportwarmcoolcoolJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec30°F30°F35°F35°F40°F40°F45°F45°F50°F50°F55°F55°F60°F60°FAug 1454°FAug 1454°F33°FFeb 1433°FFeb 14Jun 3050°FJun 3050°FOct 150°FOct 150°FDec 137°FDec 137°FMay 1537°FMay 1537°FNowNow
The daily average water temperature (purple line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
WaterJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Temperature 34°F33°F33°F34°F38°F47°F53°F54°F52°F47°F41°F35°F

To characterize how pleasant the weather is at Soldotna Airport throughout the year, we compute two travel scores.

The tourism score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 65°F and 80°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Soldotna Airport for general outdoor tourist activities is from mid July to early August, with a peak score in the last week of July.

Tourism Score at Soldotna Airport

Tourism Score at Soldotna AirportJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810102.72.70.00.0NowNowtemperaturetemperature cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitation
The tourism score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with perceived temperatures between 75°F and 90°F. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Soldotna Airport for hot-weather activities is from late June to late July, with a peak score in the second week of July.

Beach/Pool Score at Soldotna Airport

Beach/Pool Score at Soldotna AirportJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810100.10.10.00.0NowNowtemperaturetemperature cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitation
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).

Methodology

For each hour between 8:00 AM and 9:00 PM of each day in the analysis period (1980 to 2016), independent scores are computed for perceived temperature, cloud cover, and total precipitation. Those scores are combined into a single hourly composite score, which is then aggregated into days, averaged over all the years in the analysis period, and smoothed.

Our cloud cover score is 10 for fully clear skies, falling linearly to 9 for mostly clear skies, and to 1 for fully overcast skies.

Our precipitation score, which is based on the three-hour precipitation centered on the hour in question, is 10 for no precipitation, falling linearly to 9 for trace precipitation, and to 0 for 0.04 inches of precipitation or more.

Our tourism temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 50°F, rising linearly to 9 for 65°F, to 10 for 75°F, falling linearly to 9 for 80°F, and to 1 for 90°F or hotter.

Our beach/pool temperature score is 0 for perceived temperatures below 65°F, rising linearly to 9 for 75°F, to 10 for 82°F, falling linearly to 9 for 90°F, and to 1 for 100°F or hotter.

Definitions of the growing season vary throughout the world, but for the purposes of this report, we define it as the longest continuous period of non-freezing temperatures (≥ 32°F) in the year (the calendar year in the Northern Hemisphere, or from July 1 until June 30 in the Southern Hemisphere).

The growing season at Soldotna Airport typically lasts for 3.5 months (109 days), from around May 25 to around September 10, rarely starting before May 9 or after June 10, and rarely ending before August 23 or after September 30.

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season at Soldotna Airport

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season at Soldotna Airportgrowing seasonJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%May 2550%May 2550%Sep 1050%Sep 1050%Jun 1090%Jun 1090%Aug 2390%Aug 2390%May 910%May 910%Sep 3010%Sep 3010%0%Feb 250%Feb 25Jul 24100%Jul 24100%NowNowfrigidfreezingvery coldcoldcool
frigid 15°F freezing 32°F very cold 45°F cold 55°F cool 65°F comfortable 75°F warm 85°F hot 95°F sweltering
The percentage of time spent in various temperature bands. The black line is the percentage chance that a given day is within the growing season.

Growing degree days are a measure of yearly heat accumulation used to predict plant and animal development, and defined as the integral of warmth above a base temperature, discarding any excess above a maximum temperature. In this report, we use a base of 50°F and a cap of 86°F.

Based on growing degree days alone, the first spring blooms at Soldotna Airport should appear around June 12, only rarely appearing before May 31 or after June 28.

Growing Degree Days at Soldotna Airport

Growing Degree Days at Soldotna AirportJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0°F0°F100°F100°F200°F200°F300°F300°F400°F400°F500°F500°F600°F600°F700°F700°FJun 1290°FJun 1290°FDec 31578°FDec 31578°FNowNow
The average growing degree days accumulated over the course of the year, with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.

This section discusses the total daily incident shortwave solar energy reaching the surface of the ground over a wide area, taking full account of seasonal variations in the length of the day, the elevation of the Sun above the horizon, and absorption by clouds and other atmospheric constituents. Shortwave radiation includes visible light and ultraviolet radiation.

The average daily incident shortwave solar energy experiences extreme seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The brighter period of the year lasts for 3.0 months, from May 3 to August 3, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter above 4.7 kWh. The brightest month of the year at Soldotna Airport is June, with an average of 5.8 kWh.

The darker period of the year lasts for 4.1 months, from October 17 to February 21, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter below 1.3 kWh. The darkest month of the year at Soldotna Airport is December, with an average of 0.2 kWh.

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy at Soldotna Airport

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy at Soldotna AirportbrightdarkdarkJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 kWh0 kWh1 kWh1 kWh2 kWh2 kWh3 kWh3 kWh4 kWh4 kWh5 kWh5 kWh6 kWh6 kWh7 kWh7 kWh8 kWh8 kWhJun 165.9 kWhJun 165.9 kWhDec 190.2 kWhDec 190.2 kWhMay 34.7 kWhMay 34.7 kWhAug 34.7 kWhAug 34.7 kWhOct 171.3 kWhOct 171.3 kWhFeb 211.3 kWhFeb 211.3 kWh
The average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground per square meter (orange line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Solar Energy (kWh) 0.41.12.54.05.25.85.34.22.71.40.50.2

For the purposes of this report, the geographical coordinates of Soldotna Airport are 60.476 deg latitude, -151.032 deg longitude, and 102 ft elevation.

The topography within 2 miles of Soldotna Airport contains only modest variations in elevation, with a maximum elevation change of 325 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 154 feet. Within 10 miles contains only modest variations in elevation (755 feet). Within 50 miles contains significant variations in elevation (6,591 feet).

The area within 2 miles of Soldotna Airport is covered by trees (77%) and sparse vegetation (14%), within 10 miles by trees (66%) and herbaceous vegetation (14%), and within 50 miles by water (33%) and trees (27%).

This report illustrates the typical weather at Soldotna Airport, based on a statistical analysis of historical hourly weather reports and model reconstructions from January 1, 1980 to December 31, 2016.

Temperature and Dew Point

Soldotna Airport has a weather station that reported reliably enough during the analysis period that we have included it in our network. When available, historical temperature and dew point measurements are taken directly from this weather station. These records are obtained from NOAA's Integrated Surface Hourly data set, falling back on ICAO METAR records as required.

In the case of missing or erroneous measurements from this station, we fall back on records from nearby stations, adjusted according to typical seasonal and diurnal intra-station differences. For a given day of the year and hour of the day, the fallback station is selected to minimize the prediction error over the years for which there are measurements for both stations.

The stations on which we may fall back include but are not limited to Kenai Municipal Airport, Homer Airport, Anchorage International Airport, Seldovia Airport, Lake Hood Seaplane Base, Merrill Field Airport, Elmendorf Air Force Base, and Bryant Army Heliport.

Other Data

All data relating to the Sun's position (e.g., sunrise and sunset) are computed using astronomical formulas from the book, Astronomical Algorithms 2nd Edition , by Jean Meeus.

All other weather data, including cloud cover, precipitation, wind speed and direction, and solar flux, come from NASA's MERRA-2 Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis . This reanalysis combines a variety of wide-area measurements in a state-of-the-art global meteorological model to reconstruct the hourly history of weather throughout the world on a 50-kilometer grid.

Land Use data comes from the Global Land Cover SHARE database , published by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Elevation data comes from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) , published by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Names, locations, and time zones of places and some airports come from the GeoNames Geographical Database .

Time zones for airports and weather stations are provided by AskGeo.com .

Maps are © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Disclaimer

The information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Weather data is prone to errors, outages, and other defects. We assume no responsibility for any decisions made on the basis of the content presented on this site.

We draw particular cautious attention to our reliance on the MERRA-2 model-based reconstructions for a number of important data series. While having the tremendous advantages of temporal and spatial completeness, these reconstructions: (1) are based on computer models that may have model-based errors, (2) are coarsely sampled on a 50 km grid and are therefore unable to reconstruct the local variations of many microclimates, and (3) have particular difficulty with the weather in some coastal areas, especially small islands.

We further caution that our travel scores are only as good as the data that underpin them, that weather conditions at any given location and time are unpredictable and variable, and that the definition of the scores reflects a particular set of preferences that may not agree with those of any particular reader.

Please review our full terms contained on our Terms of Service page.