Sitka in may - too much snow???

We are leaving on a cruise on May 12, 2015 out of Vancouver. Our first stop is Sitka on May 14. I booked this cruise because it is 10 days on a ship in my favorite area and it visited Sitka. Now I am wondering if this is too early to be in Sitka. Will there still be too much snow left.

Any Sitka residents out there who might know? I know we don't know what the snowfall will be this winter, but what is the norm.

Thank you.

I was only in Sitka once in May, no snow, just steady rain.

john

There will be no snow in Sitka in May. It was 71 degrees on May 2 this year. Actually warmer than normal, averages for May are low to mid 50’s.

wonderground is a good site to use for historical data...... temp, rain, snow, etc

Just plug in the dates for several yrs to find a trend.

http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/PASI/2013/12/14/MonthlyHistory.html

How great you will get to Sitka, our favorite Alaskan port. We almost had a chance to get there this September. When we booked, Sitka was on the list, but it was later changed to Astoria.:(

You will be fine.

Great time to visit there.

Keith

Sitka is located in a temperate rain forest and gets very little snow. When Sitka receives snow, the locals say it usually melts the same day. We have been to Sitka in May and it has always rained (the annual rainfall is measured in feet).

The bears, sea otters, humpback whales, and eagles are still active in the rain. Bring a poncho and wear some lightweight long underwear for comfort.

Why would there be snow in Sitka in May???

We are leaving on a cruise on May 12, 2015 out of Vancouver. Our first stop is Sitka on May 14. I booked this cruise because it is 10 days on a ship in my favorite area and it visited Sitka. Now I am wondering if this is too early to be in Sitka. Will there still be too much snow left.

 

Any Sitka residents out there who might know? I know we don't know what the snowfall will be this winter, but what is the norm.

 

Thank you.

Was there this past May 15th...mostly sunny and high 60's...perfect!!

I was in Sitka on May 27, 2013. OK, it was 2 weeks after your scheduled visit, but the weather was warm; the Sitka residents were in shorts and t-shirts.

Sitka was my first stop in Alaska and my favorite. If you want to see lots of wildlife, Sitka's the place. The harbor has sea otters and their babies, whales and their babies, tufted puffins, sea lions... I wouldn't miss Sitka!

I lived in Sitka for four years. Only one time did we ever had snow flurries anytime after April 15th. Mostly we would have low hanging clouds and a light mist. You will se snow on Mt Edgecome and some other mountains. But not in Sitka.

Not to worry, just enjoy

Be prepared for rain/mist in Sitka. It is a beautiful quaint small town. Not sure if the new pier that was built has affected the local atmosphere yet (but I sure hope not). Our favorite port in Alaska!

Your question should be for January not May. During my professional years, when I had visible means of support, haw, I traveled around all of Alaska a lot. Can't ever recall seeing snow in Sitka.

I have friends who live in Ketchikan, they tell me some winters they mow their lawns all winter long.

Now, I come from Cordova, on the coast on Prince William Sound. Some winters we rarely have snow, and when we do it often rains off right away. Some years though, we really get hammered if the temperatures are low enough as Cordova gets a lot of annual precipitation. Valdez is also on the coast and Prince William Sound, but it is further north and most importantly at the head of Valdez Arm in the northeast corner of the Sound. They really get a lot of snow. Hard to believe how much sometimes. During winter basketball meets when I was in high school we were all amazed upon arrival in Valdez. Their snowbanks lining the streets were like small canyons.

During our travels, after learning we live in Alaska, people often ask, "Do you get a lot of snow up there?". Pretty hard question to answer, since the tip of the Aleutian Chain is closer to Tokyo than Anchorage and weather in Ketchikan is more like Seattle, back in the 50s and 60s I spent 5 winters in Fairbanks, after a couple months of -45, most of the time, visiting Anchorage was like experiencing a heat wave.

Latitudes are: Sitka 57.05, Cordova 60.54, Ketchikan 55.35, and Seattle 47.6.