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Climate and Average Weather Year Round in Alkmaar Netherlands

In Alkmaar, the summers are comfortable, the winters are long and very cold, and it is windy and partly cloudy year round. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 35°F to 69°F and is rarely below 25°F or above 77°F.

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

Climate in Alkmaar

very coldcoldcoolcomfortablecoolcoldJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecNowNow58%58%33%33%overcastclearprecipitation: 2.5 inprecipitation: 2.5 in1.2 in1.2 inmuggy: 4%muggy: 4%0%0%drydrytourism score: 6.8tourism score: 6.80.00.0
Alkmaar weather by month. Click on each chart for more information.

The warm season lasts for 3.0 months, from June 16 to September 17, with an average daily high temperature above 63°F. The hottest month of the year in Alkmaar is August, with an average high of 68°F and low of 58°F.

The cool season lasts for 3.8 months, from November 23 to March 17, with an average daily high temperature below 47°F. The coldest month of the year in Alkmaar is February, with an average low of 35°F and high of 42°F.

Average High and Low Temperature in Alkmaar

Average High and Low Temperature in AlkmaarwarmcoolcoolJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0°F0°F10°F10°F20°F20°F30°F30°F40°F40°F50°F50°F60°F60°F70°F70°F80°F80°F90°F90°F100°F100°FFeb 842°FFeb 842°FAug 569°FAug 569°F35°F35°F59°F59°FJun 1663°FJun 1663°FSep 1763°FSep 1763°FNov 2347°FNov 2347°FMar 1747°FMar 1747°F54°F54°F54°F54°F41°F41°F39°F39°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 42°F42°F47°F53°F59°F63°F67°F68°F64°F57°F49°F44°F
Temp. 39°F39°F43°F48°F54°F59°F63°F63°F59°F53°F46°F41°F
Low 36°F35°F38°F43°F49°F54°F58°F58°F55°F49°F42°F38°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 in Alkmaar

Average Hourly Temperature in AlkmaarJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 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 AMNowNowvery coldvery coldcoldcoldcoolcomfortable
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.

Parksville, British Columbia, Canada (4,794 miles away) is the far-away foreign place with temperatures most similar to Alkmaar (view comparison).

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In Alkmaar, the average percentage of the sky covered by clouds experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year in Alkmaar begins around March 30 and lasts for 6.1 months, ending around October 2.

The clearest month of the year in Alkmaar is July, during which on average the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 57% of the time.

The cloudier part of the year begins around October 2 and lasts for 5.9 months, ending around March 30.

The cloudiest month of the year in Alkmaar is December, during which on average the sky is overcast or mostly cloudy 65% of the time.

Cloud Cover Categories in Alkmaar

Cloud Cover Categories in AlkmaarclearercloudiercloudierJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%Jul 2158%Jul 2158%Dec 3133%Dec 3133%Mar 3045%Mar 3045%Oct 245%Oct 245%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 65%62%60%52%50%48%43%45%51%57%64%65%
Clearer 35%38%40%48%50%52%57%55%49%43%36%35%

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

The wetter season lasts 7.0 months, from July 4 to February 2, with a greater than 31% chance of a given day being a wet day. The month with the most wet days in Alkmaar is December, with an average of 11.4 days with at least 0.04 inches of precipitation.

The drier season lasts 5.0 months, from February 2 to July 4. The month with the fewest wet days in Alkmaar is April, with an average of 7.0 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. The month with the most days of rain alone in Alkmaar is December, with an average of 11.1 days. Based on this categorization, the most common form of precipitation throughout the year is rain alone, with a peak probability of 38% on December 22.

Daily Chance of Precipitation in Alkmaar

Daily Chance of Precipitation in AlkmaarwetwetdryJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Dec 2239%Dec 2239%Apr 2222%Apr 2222%Jul 431%Jul 431%Feb 231%Feb 231%NowNowrain
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 9.9d7.8d7.9d7.0d7.9d8.6d9.2d9.3d9.8d10.9d10.6d11.1d
Mixed 0.3d0.2d0.1d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.1d
Snow 0.2d0.1d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.1d
Any 10.4d8.0d8.0d7.0d7.9d8.6d9.2d9.3d9.8d10.9d10.7d11.4d

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. Alkmaar experiences some seasonal variation in monthly rainfall.

Rain falls throughout the year in Alkmaar. The month with the most rain in Alkmaar is November, with an average rainfall of 2.5 inches.

The month with the least rain in Alkmaar is April, with an average rainfall of 1.2 inches.

Average Monthly Rainfall in Alkmaar

Average Monthly Rainfall in AlkmaarJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 in0 in1 in1 in2 in2 in3 in3 in4 in4 in5 in5 inOct 282.5 inOct 282.5 inApr 181.2 inApr 181.2 inDec 152.4 inDec 152.4 inNowNow
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 2.1″1.6″1.5″1.2″1.6″1.8″2.0″2.2″2.3″2.4″2.5″2.4″

The length of the day in Alkmaar varies extremely over the course of the year. In 2024, the shortest day is December 21, with 7 hours, 38 minutes of daylight; the longest day is June 20, with 16 hours, 52 minutes of daylight.

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in Alkmaar

Hours of Daylight and Twilight in AlkmaarJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 hr24 hr4 hr20 hr8 hr16 hr12 hr12 hr16 hr8 hr20 hr4 hr24 hr0 hr12 hr, 8 minMar 2012 hr, 8 minMar 2016 hr, 52 minJun 2016 hr, 52 minJun 2012 hr, 11 minSep 2212 hr, 11 minSep 227 hr, 38 minDec 217 hr, 38 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 8.3h9.9h11.9h14.0h15.8h16.8h16.3h14.6h12.6h10.6h8.7h7.7h

The earliest sunrise is at 5:16 AM on June 17, and the latest sunrise is 3 hours, 36 minutes later at 8:52 AM on December 30. The earliest sunset is at 4:26 PM on December 12, and the latest sunset is 5 hours, 43 minutes later at 10:08 PM on June 24.

Daylight saving time (DST) is observed in Alkmaar during 2024, starting in the spring on March 31, lasting 6.9 months, and ending in the fall on October 27.

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Saving Time in Alkmaar

Sunrise & Sunset with Twilight and Daylight Saving Time in AlkmaarJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AMJun 175:16 AMJun 175:16 AM10:08 PMJun 2410:08 PMJun 24Dec 124:26 PMDec 124:26 PM8:52 AMDec 308:52 AMDec 30Mar 31DSTMar 31DSTDSTOct 27DSTOct 27daynightnightnightnightSolarMidnightSolarMidnightSolarNoonSunriseSunset
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 in Alkmaar

Solar Elevation and Azimuth in AlkmaarJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 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 AM00001010102020303040405000010101010202030304040506014NowNow
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 in Alkmaar

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 in Alkmaar, 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, staying within 2% of 2% throughout.

Humidity Comfort Levels in Alkmaar

Humidity Comfort Levels in AlkmaarJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%0%10%10%20%20%30%30%40%40%50%50%60%60%70%70%80%80%90%90%100%100%Mar 90%Mar 90%Jul 234%Jul 234%NowNowhumidhumidcomfortablecomfortabledrydry
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 0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.0d0.2d0.9d0.7d0.1d0.0d0.0d0.0d

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 in Alkmaar experiences significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The windier part of the year lasts for 5.5 months, from October 7 to March 21, with average wind speeds of more than 14.5 miles per hour. The windiest month of the year in Alkmaar is January, with an average hourly wind speed of 17.3 miles per hour.

The calmer time of year lasts for 6.5 months, from March 21 to October 7. The calmest month of the year in Alkmaar is July, with an average hourly wind speed of 11.7 miles per hour.

Average Wind Speed in Alkmaar

Average Wind Speed in AlkmaarwindywindyJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 mph0 mph5 mph5 mph10 mph10 mph15 mph15 mph20 mph20 mph25 mph25 mphJan 217.6 mphJan 217.6 mphAug 311.4 mphAug 311.4 mphOct 714.5 mphOct 714.5 mphMar 2114.5 mphMar 2114.5 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) 17.315.914.712.812.211.811.712.113.515.216.016.8

The predominant average hourly wind direction in Alkmaar varies throughout the year.

The wind is most often from the north for 1.0 months, from April 15 to May 16, with a peak percentage of 29% on April 24. The wind is most often from the west for 4.6 months, from May 16 to October 4 and for 4.4 months, from December 2 to April 15, with a peak percentage of 44% on July 12. The wind is most often from the south for 1.9 months, from October 4 to December 2, with a peak percentage of 36% on October 30.

Wind Direction in Alkmaar

Wind Direction in AlkmaarWNWSWJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%20%80%40%60%60%40%80%20%100%0%NowNowwestsoutheastnorth
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).

Alkmaar 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 3.2 months, from June 28 to October 2, with an average temperature above 60°F. The month of the year in Alkmaar with the warmest water is August, with an average temperature of 64°F.

The time of year with cooler water lasts for 3.7 months, from December 19 to April 11, with an average temperature below 46°F. The month of the year in Alkmaar with the coolest water is February, with an average temperature of 41°F.

Average Water Temperature in Alkmaar

Average Water Temperature in AlkmaarwarmcoolJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec35°F35°F40°F40°F45°F45°F50°F50°F55°F55°F60°F60°F65°F65°F70°F70°FAug 1465°FAug 1465°F41°FFeb 1941°FFeb 19Jun 2860°FJun 2860°FOct 260°FOct 260°FDec 1946°FDec 1946°FApr 1146°FApr 1146°FNowNow
The daily average water temperature (purple line), with 25th to 75th and 10th to 90th percentile bands.
WaterJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Temperature 43°F41°F43°F47°F52°F58°F62°F64°F62°F57°F51°F46°F

To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Alkmaar 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 Alkmaar for general outdoor tourist activities is from late June to early September, with a peak score in the first week of August.

Tourism Score in Alkmaar

Tourism Score in Alkmaarbest timeJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810106.86.80.00.0NowNowtemperaturetemperature 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 Alkmaar for hot-weather activities is from mid July to mid August, with a peak score in the first week of August.

Beach/Pool Score in Alkmaar

Beach/Pool Score in AlkmaarJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec002244668810102.42.40.00.0NowNowtemperaturetemperature 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 in Alkmaar typically lasts for 8.8 months (269 days), from around March 14 to around December 8, rarely starting before February 5 or after April 12, and rarely ending before November 9 or after January 2.

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in Alkmaar

Time Spent in Various Temperature Bands and the Growing Season in Alkmaargrowing seasonJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%50%Mar 1450%Mar 1450%Dec 850%Dec 890%Apr 1290%Apr 1290%Nov 990%Nov 910%Feb 510%Feb 510%Jan 210%Jan 2Jul 26100%Jul 26100%NowNowvery coldcoldcoolcomfortablewarm
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 in Alkmaar should appear around May 8, only rarely appearing before April 25 or after May 25.

Growing Degree Days in Alkmaar

Growing Degree Days in AlkmaarJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0°F0°F200°F200°F400°F400°F600°F600°F800°F800°F1,000°F1,000°F1,200°F1,200°F1,400°F1,400°F1,600°F1,600°F1,800°F1,800°FMay 890°FMay 890°FAug 1900°FAug 1900°FDec 311,740°FDec 311,740°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 3.6 months, from April 29 to August 15, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter above 5.3 kWh. The brightest month of the year in Alkmaar is June, with an average of 6.4 kWh.

The darker period of the year lasts for 4.0 months, from October 23 to February 22, with an average daily incident shortwave energy per square meter below 1.7 kWh. The darkest month of the year in Alkmaar is December, with an average of 0.6 kWh.

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in Alkmaar

Average Daily Incident Shortwave Solar Energy in AlkmaarbrightdarkdarkJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec0 kWh0 kWh1 kWh1 kWh2 kWh2 kWh3 kWh3 kWh4 kWh4 kWh5 kWh5 kWh6 kWh6 kWh7 kWh7 kWh8 kWh8 kWh9 kWh9 kWhJun 266.5 kWhJun 266.5 kWhDec 210.5 kWhDec 210.5 kWhApr 295.3 kWhApr 295.3 kWhAug 155.3 kWhAug 155.3 kWhOct 231.7 kWhOct 231.7 kWhFeb 221.7 kWhFeb 221.7 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) 0.81.52.84.65.96.46.35.23.62.01.00.6

For the purposes of this report, the geographical coordinates of Alkmaar are 52.632 deg latitude, 4.749 deg longitude, and 16 ft elevation.

The topography within 2 miles of Alkmaar is essentially flat, with a maximum elevation change of 82 feet and an average elevation above sea level of 3 feet. Within 10 miles is essentially flat (207 feet). Within 50 miles also contains only modest variations in elevation (351 feet).

The area within 2 miles of Alkmaar is covered by artificial surfaces (68%) and grassland (20%), within 10 miles by grassland (36%) and cropland (27%), and within 50 miles by water (59%) and grassland (17%).

This report illustrates the typical weather in Alkmaar, 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

There are 4 weather stations near enough to contribute to our estimation of the temperature and dew point in Alkmaar.

For each station, the records are corrected for the elevation difference between that station and Alkmaar according to the International Standard Atmosphere , and by the relative change present in the MERRA-2 satellite-era reanalysis between the two locations.

The estimated value at Alkmaar is computed as the weighted average of the individual contributions from each station, with weights proportional to the inverse of the distance between Alkmaar and a given station.

The stations contributing to this reconstruction are:

  • De Kooy (EHKD, 36%, 20 mi, north, -16 ft elevation change)
  • Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (EHAM, 31%, 22 mi, south, -26 ft elevation change)
  • Hoorn-A Helipad Oil Platform (EHQE, 18%, 32 mi, northwest, 118 ft elevation change)
  • Lelystad Airport (EHLE, 16%, 35 mi, east, -30 ft elevation change)

To get a sense of how much these sources agree with each other, you can view a comparison of Alkmaar and the stations that contribute to our estimates of its temperature history and climate. Please note that each source's contribution is adjusted for elevation and the relative change present in the MERRA-2 data.

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.