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

At Birchwood Airport, the summers are cool and mostly cloudy and the winters are long, freezing, snowy, and partly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 10°F to 67°F and is rarely below -12°F or above 75°F.

Based on the tourism score, the best time of year to visit Birchwood Airport for warm-weather activities is from late June to early August.

Climate at Birchwood Airport

freezingvery coldcoldcoolcomfortablecoolcoldfreezingJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNowNow49%49%36%36%overcastclearprecipitation: 3.3 inprecipitation: 3.3 in0.7 in0.7 inmuggy: 0%muggy: 0%0%0%drydrytourism score: 3.6tourism score: 3.60.00.0
Birchwood Airport weather by month. Click on each chart for more information.

The warm season lasts for 3.8 months, from May 16 to September 10, with an average daily high temperature above 58°F. The hottest month of the year at Birchwood Airport is July, with an average high of 66°F and low of 52°F.

The cold season lasts for 3.9 months, from November 6 to March 3, with an average daily high temperature below 31°F. The coldest month of the year at Birchwood Airport is January, with an average low of 10°F and high of 22°F.

Average High and Low Temperature at Birchwood Airport

Average High and Low Temperature at Birchwood 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 2022°FJan 2022°FJul 1267°FJul 1267°F10°F10°F52°F52°FMay 1658°FMay 1658°FSep 1058°FSep 1058°FNov 631°FNov 631°FMar 331°FMar 331°F41°F41°F43°F43°F18°F18°F15°F15°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 22°F27°F34°F46°F58°F64°F66°F64°F55°F41°F28°F23°F
Temp. 15°F19°F25°F37°F49°F56°F59°F56°F48°F35°F21°F17°F
Low 10°F12°F18°F29°F41°F49°F52°F49°F41°F29°F16°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 Birchwood Airport

Average Hourly Temperature at Birchwood 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 AMNowNowfrigidfreezingfreezingcoldcoolcoolvery coldvery coldfrigid
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.

Forsbacka, Sweden (3,707 miles away) is the far-away foreign place with temperatures most similar to Birchwood Airport (view comparison).

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At Birchwood Airport, the average percentage of the sky covered by clouds experiences mild seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year at Birchwood Airport begins around January 31 and lasts for 2.7 months, ending around April 20.

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

The cloudier part of the year begins around April 20 and lasts for 9.3 months, ending around January 31.

The cloudiest month of the year at Birchwood Airport is July, during which on average the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy 62% of the time.

Cloud Cover Categories at Birchwood Airport

Cloud Cover Categories at Birchwood AirportclearercloudierJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%Mar 1549%Mar 1549%Jul 936%Jul 936%Jan 3143%Jan 3143%Apr 2043%Apr 2043%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%55%52%57%58%60%62%59%60%56%55%60%
Clearer 42%45%48%43%42%40%38%41%40%44%45%40%

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

The wetter season lasts 3.5 months, from July 8 to October 25, with a greater than 28% chance of a given day being a wet day. The month with the most wet days at Birchwood Airport is September, with an average of 12.2 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

The drier season lasts 8.5 months, from October 25 to July 8. The month with the fewest wet days at Birchwood Airport is April, with an average of 4.4 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 Birchwood Airport changes throughout the year.

Rain alone is the most common for 7.4 months, from March 22 to November 3. The month with the most days of rain alone at Birchwood Airport is September, with an average of 12.0 days.

Snow alone is the most common for 4.6 months, from November 3 to March 22. The month with the most days of snow alone at Birchwood Airport is December, with an average of 5.2 days.

Daily Chance of Precipitation at Birchwood Airport

Daily Chance of Precipitation at Birchwood AirportsnowrainsnowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Sep 1841%Sep 1841%Mar 2714%Mar 2714%Nov 324%Nov 324%Jul 828%Jul 828%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 1.3d1.2d1.5d3.4d6.0d7.5d9.5d11.6d12.0d8.0d2.1d1.1d
Mixed 1.4d1.0d1.1d0.7d0.1d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.1d0.8d1.2d1.6d
Snow 4.4d3.5d2.2d0.4d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d1.2d4.0d5.2d
Any 7.1d5.6d4.8d4.4d6.0d7.5d9.5d11.6d12.2d10.0d7.2d7.9d

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. Birchwood Airport experiences significant seasonal variation in monthly rainfall.

The rainy period of the year lasts for 7.9 months, from April 7 to December 3, with a sliding 31-day rainfall of at least 0.5 inches. The month with the most rain at Birchwood Airport is August, with an average rainfall of 3.2 inches.

The rainless period of the year lasts for 4.1 months, from December 3 to April 7. The month with the least rain at Birchwood Airport is February, with an average rainfall of 0.3 inches.

Average Monthly Rainfall at Birchwood Airport

Average Monthly Rainfall at Birchwood AirportrainJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 in0 in2 in2 in4 in4 in6 in6 in8 in8 in10 in10 in12 in12 inAug 273.3 inAug 273.3 inFeb 230.3 inFeb 230.3 inJan 150.4 inJan 150.4 inApr 70.5 inApr 70.5 inDec 30.5 inDec 30.5 in
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 0.4″0.3″0.3″0.6″1.1″1.8″2.5″3.2″3.2″1.9″0.6″0.4″

Snowfall

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

The snowy period of the year lasts for 6.7 months, from September 29 to April 18, with a sliding 31-day snowfall of at least 1.0 inches. The month with the most snow at Birchwood Airport is December, with an average snowfall of 10.0 inches.

The snowless period of the year lasts for 5.3 months, from April 18 to September 29. The least snow falls around July 24, with an average total accumulation of 0.0 inches.

Average Monthly Snowfall at Birchwood Airport

Average Monthly Snowfall at Birchwood AirportsnowsnowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 in0 in5 in5 in10 in10 in15 in15 in20 in20 inDec 1910.0 inDec 1910.0 inJul 240.0 inJul 240.0 inSep 291.0 inSep 291.0 inApr 181.0 inApr 181.0 in
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 7.7″6.8″4.1″1.2″0.0″0.0″0.0″0.0″0.2″3.4″8.4″10.0″

The length of the day at Birchwood Airport varies extremely over the course of the year. In 2024, the shortest day is December 21, with 5 hours, 23 minutes of daylight; the longest day is June 20, with 19 hours, 28 minutes of daylight.

Hours of Daylight and Twilight at Birchwood Airport

Hours of Daylight and Twilight at Birchwood AirportJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 hr24 hr4 hr20 hr8 hr16 hr12 hr12 hr16 hr8 hr20 hr4 hr24 hr0 hr12 hr, 13 minMar 1912 hr, 13 minMar 1919 hr, 28 minJun 2019 hr, 28 minJun 2012 hr, 17 minSep 2212 hr, 17 minSep 225 hr, 23 minDec 215 hr, 23 minDec 21nightnightdayNowNow
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 6.5h9.0h11.9h14.9h17.6h19.3h18.3h15.7h12.8h9.9h7.2h5.5h

The earliest sunrise is at 4:15 AM on June 18, and the latest sunrise is 6 hours, 1 minute later at 10:16 AM on December 25. The earliest sunset is at 3:36 PM on December 16, and the latest sunset is 8 hours, 8 minutes later at 11:43 PM on June 22.

Daylight saving time (DST) is observed at Birchwood 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 Birchwood Airport

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Saving Time at Birchwood AirportJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AM2 AMJun 184:15 AMJun 184:15 AM11:43 PMJun 2211:43 PMJun 22Dec 163:36 PMDec 163:36 PM10:16 AMDec 2510:16 AMDec 25Mar 10DSTMar 10DSTDSTNov 3DSTNov 3daynightnightnightnightSolarMidnightSolarMidnightSolarNoonSunriseSunsetNowNow
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 Birchwood Airport

Solar Elevation and Azimuth at Birchwood 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 AM000101010202030304050000101010202030304040552NowNow
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 Birchwood 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 Birchwood 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 Birchwood Airport

Humidity Comfort Levels at Birchwood AirportJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Jan 200%Jan 200%Jun 290%Jun 290%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 Birchwood Airport experiences mild seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The windier part of the year lasts for 5.3 months, from November 7 to April 16, with average wind speeds of more than 5.3 miles per hour. The windiest month of the year at Birchwood Airport is January, with an average hourly wind speed of 6.7 miles per hour.

The calmer time of year lasts for 6.7 months, from April 16 to November 7. The calmest month of the year at Birchwood Airport is July, with an average hourly wind speed of 4.0 miles per hour.

Average Wind Speed at Birchwood Airport

Average Wind Speed at Birchwood AirportwindywindyJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 mph0 mph1 mph1 mph2 mph2 mph3 mph3 mph4 mph4 mph5 mph5 mph6 mph6 mph7 mph7 mph8 mph8 mph9 mph9 mph10 mph10 mph11 mph11 mphJan 86.8 mphJan 86.8 mphJul 53.9 mphJul 53.9 mphNov 75.3 mphNov 75.3 mphApr 165.3 mphApr 165.3 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) 6.76.45.95.34.64.14.04.35.05.05.66.3

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

The wind is most often from the south for 3.3 months, from May 20 to August 30, with a peak percentage of 57% on July 2. The wind is most often from the east for 8.7 months, from August 30 to May 20, with a peak percentage of 69% on January 1.

Wind Direction at Birchwood Airport

Wind Direction at Birchwood AirportESEJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%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).

Birchwood 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 2.5 months, from July 5 to September 21, with an average temperature above 48°F. The month of the year at Birchwood Airport with the warmest water is August, with an average temperature of 52°F.

The time of year with cooler water lasts for 5.9 months, from November 17 to May 14, with an average temperature below 36°F. The month of the year at Birchwood Airport with the coolest water is March, with an average temperature of 32°F.

Average Water Temperature at Birchwood Airport

Average Water Temperature at Birchwood AirportwarmcoolcoolJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec30°F30°F35°F35°F40°F40°F45°F45°F50°F50°F55°F55°F60°F60°FAug 1453°FAug 1453°F32°FMar 232°FMar 2Jul 548°FJul 548°FSep 2148°FSep 2148°FNov 1736°FNov 1736°FMay 1436°FMay 1436°FNowNow
The daily average water temperature (purple line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
WaterJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Temperature 33°F32°F32°F33°F37°F44°F50°F52°F49°F43°F37°F33°F

To characterize how pleasant the weather is at Birchwood 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 Birchwood Airport for general outdoor tourist activities is from late June to early August, with a peak score in the second week of July.

Tourism Score at Birchwood Airport

Tourism Score at Birchwood AirportJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810103.63.60.00.0NowNowtemperaturetemperature cloudscloudsprecipitationprecipitationtourism score
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 Birchwood Airport for hot-weather activities is from late June to mid July, with a peak score in the second week of July.

Beach/Pool Score at Birchwood Airport

Beach/Pool Score at Birchwood 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 Birchwood Airport typically lasts for 4.7 months (144 days), from around May 1 to around September 22, rarely starting before April 16 or after May 16, and rarely ending before September 3 or after October 8.

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

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season at Birchwood Airportgrowing seasonJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%May 150%May 150%Sep 2250%Sep 2250%May 1690%May 1690%Sep 390%Sep 390%Apr 1610%Apr 1610%Oct 810%Oct 810%0%Nov 280%Nov 28Jul 8100%Jul 8100%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 Birchwood Airport should appear around May 31, only rarely appearing before May 21 or after June 12.

Growing Degree Days at Birchwood Airport

Growing Degree Days at Birchwood AirportJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0°F0°F200°F200°F400°F400°F600°F600°F800°F800°F1,000°F1,000°FMay 3190°FMay 3190°FDec 31828°FDec 31828°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 April 29 to July 28, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter above 4.7 kWh. The brightest month of the year at Birchwood Airport is June, with an average of 5.7 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 Birchwood Airport is December, with an average of 0.2 kWh.

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy at Birchwood Airport

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy at Birchwood AirportbrightdarkdarkJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 kWh0 kWh1 kWh1 kWh2 kWh2 kWh3 kWh3 kWh4 kWh4 kWh5 kWh5 kWh6 kWh6 kWh7 kWh7 kWh8 kWh8 kWhJun 85.8 kWhJun 85.8 kWhDec 200.1 kWhDec 200.1 kWhApr 294.7 kWhApr 294.7 kWhJul 284.7 kWhJul 284.7 kWhOct 171.3 kWhOct 171.3 kWhFeb 211.3 kWhFeb 211.3 kWhNowNow
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) 0.31.12.54.15.45.75.04.02.61.30.50.2

For the purposes of this report, the geographical coordinates of Birchwood Airport are 61.416 deg latitude, -149.509 deg longitude, and 75 ft elevation.

The topography within 2 miles of Birchwood Airport contains only modest variations in elevation, with a maximum elevation change of 440 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 100 feet. Within 10 miles contains only modest variations in elevation (5,302 feet). Within 50 miles also contains extreme variations in elevation (9,846 feet).

The area within 2 miles of Birchwood Airport is covered by trees (31%), water (24%), sparse vegetation (19%), and artificial surfaces (13%), within 10 miles by trees (30%) and shrubs (21%), and within 50 miles by trees (26%) and shrubs (20%).

This report illustrates the typical weather at Birchwood 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

Birchwood 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 New Wasilla Airport; Bryant Army Heliport; Elmendorf Air Force Base; Merrill Field Airport; Palmer Municipal Airport; Lake Hood Seaplane Base; Anchorage International Airport; and Portage, Portage Glacier.

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.