When does it start to snow on the Alcan?
Me and a friend are going to be driving from Anchorage, Alaska to Seattle, Washington in mid-September. Will we be encountering snow at that time of year, or should we be safe?
Best Answer
The Alcan (or Alaska Highway as it more properly called these days), can experience snowfall any month of the year. Having driven it several times a year for the past 20+ years, I have seen it closed due to snow at some point in every month but July, so yes snow closures are a possibility in September.
Several areas of potential concern would be Steamboat and Summit Mountains, Muncho Lake, the stretch along the Kluane Mountains from Haines Junction to Lake Creek. The problem occurs when snow during the day melts then freezes at night. Fortunately the RCMP will close the road if conditions are bad.
How to be prepared: make sure to leave enough time to reach your final destination in case the road does get closed for a day (which can happen for a variety of other reasons too); bring your chains from Alaska to be safe.
You won't need your winter tires, just a decent set of tires. There will be several stretches where you will be driving on dirt (or mud if it has been raining or snowing).
Pictures about "When does it start to snow on the Alcan?"
How many months of the year does it snow in Alaska?
Thanks to a modifying effect of the ocean, the long Arctic night temperatures of the immediate coastal areas do not drop to the extreme low readings reached in the Alaskan interior. Snow covers the ground about eight months of the year, and usually falls every month of the year.How rough is the Alcan Highway?
From the Alaska\u2013Yukon border to Tok, the Alaska Highway has curves and grades; it was in poor to fair condition in fall 2016. From Tok to Delta Junction, the highway is fairly straight and in fair to good condition, as was the Richardson-Alaska Highway between Delta Junction and Fairbanks.Does it snow all the time in Alaska?
Precipitation is generally sparse around the year, peaking during the summer months, and virtually all precipitation between October and April falls as snow.Can you drive from Alaska to the Lower 48 in the winter?
First off, the Alaska Highway is open year-round, and winter drivers can expect a fair number of big rigs, along with local traffic, to be on the road. MILEPOST field editor Judy Nadon, who lives on the Alaska Highway near Whitehorse, YT, is one of those local drivers and winter is her favorite time of year.Driving the Alcan Highway to Alaska in the Winter! (featuring Shawn) Part 1
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Mikhail Nilov, Anthony, EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA, Julia Volk