snowiest town/area (Anchorage, Fairbanks, Kenai: hotel, work, home)

[calicocutie]

My husband and I are still considering a move to Alaska--maybe not right away, but in a few years time. What towns or areas gets the most snow? We love snow and cold weather--maybe not -60, but cold is fine. Thanks

[Rance]

It kind of changes from year to year and town to town. But along the coastline, Girdwood gets a good shot, Seward gets plenty I think (right Bud?), Homer gets a bunch. And Valdeze or Cordova area I'm sure gets lots. And I think Juneau area got hammered this winter with snow. Somebody help me out here...

[Tressa]

Seward is on the coast they do get snow but mostly wind in the winter months and can be very cold with the chill factor, and lots of rain in the summer months. when you have a nice day in Seward you do very much enjoy it as it's beautiful down there and remember it's the end of the road. Whittier gets a great deal of snow as does Valdez, summer in Valdez is at times dreary as it too is on the coast and you can actually see the sun 25% of the year. Whittier is a beautiful little community but nothing really to do there unless you are big into water Prince William Sounds is wonderful. minus 60 temps are normally in the interior and way north and so is the mosquitos in the summer months.

[missyM]

I was in Valdez in '90. It was done snowing for the winter but the snow was piled 1 1/2 stories high. There were some extreme skiers in town at that time also, making the most of it.

[mal_flisk]

Average in Valdez area is 300 inches per year. Has gotten much more. Remember bing in the second story of the Aspen Hotel and looking down toward Egan Ave. and watching the antennas of the semi's going past. Couldn't see the cars behind the snow.

[FishTAxi]

Valdez was the snow capitol of Alaska til this year. Juneau got all our snow the winter 0f 06/07. We still got over 26 feet but less than average. Last winter we got a lot of high winds that blew the neatly piled snow all around. Still had to shovel it when the wind stopped blowing.

Normally, its 32° and snowing. Perfect! I've spent winters in Anchorage, the Kenai and Fairbanks and found Valdez more to my liking. Course we have Thompson Pass in our backyard and Prince William Sound in the front yard.

Here's my Let It Snow video on YouTube.

YouTube - Let It Snow

[rotorhead]

From what I've read, Haines got just over 29 feet last winter, about double their normal average. I think they're all kinda hoping for someplace else to get some of that next year.

[MikeUSAFATC]

Well, from my knowledge, a great place if you want cold is obviously either Barrow or Fairbanks. Fairbanks snow wise, they will either get dumped with snow or get very little.

One place I noticed no one has mentioned amazingly is Cantwell. That place gets hit hard every year with snow. It also gets hit pretty hard with winds though. Great location though, right neat Mt. McKinley.

However, the "best" snow i've always found was in Valdez. Valdez has some great mountains right around it and if you love fishing, place is perfect. But as everyone has said, it's all about the year, and it always switches. Anchorage itself can be hit hard if the right storm comes. Check out Cordova, Juneau, Fairbanks, Cantwell and Glennallen.

[DannyL]

We got hammered this winter, 200 inches. But the winter itself wasn't that bad. Got below zero maybe a dozen days all winter.
One thing to remember about the snow though, once it snows, it stays for months, not days or a few weeks.

[BudinAk]

Originally Posted by Rosaire

My husband and I are still considering a move to Alaska--maybe not right away, but in a few years time. What towns or areas gets the most snow? We love snow and cold weather--maybe not -60, but cold is fine. Thanks

I'm in Seward and we get more snow than I like...maybe around 6' (on the outskirts where I live) this past winter. Work all day. Then come home and shovel/plow snow. A lot of it just blows away in the town...quite windy there in the winter. We get the most rain in the fall...Sept and Oct can be awfully wet and miserable. But, thank God, we are not at the top of the list. Valdez is usually right up there...some years they get 40 feet of snow (yes, FEET, not inches) in nearby passes and mountains. I've heard stories about residents who can't see out their windows, because there is SNOW way over the top of them! Girdwood gets a lot too...that's why they have a ski resort there...

Bud