Battle of the ocean moderated Subarctic climates: Tromsø, Norway vs. Anchorage, Alaska (snowfall, hot)
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Here are two ocean-moderated subarctic climates that are the stuff that nightmares are made of (IMO). Which is the lesser of two evils in your own eyes?
I pick Anchorage just for more sunshine hours and warmer average highs in summer (winters aren't that much colder than Tromsø but definitely stand a much better chance of getting the sun for a few hours here and there).
Here are two ocean-moderated subarctic climates that are the stuff that nightmares are made of (IMO). Which is the lesser of two evils in your own eyes?
I pick Anchorage just for more sunshine hours and warmer average highs in summer (winters aren't that much colder than Tromsø but definitely stand a much better chance of getting the sun for a few hours here and there).
Anchorage for sure! (More continental, Warmer summers, Sunnier, and since both winters are freezing at least in Anchorage you have nearly 100% snow and no rain)
Especially since the data for Tromsø is the cold 1961-90 normal (100 m asl), while Anchorage's is 1981-2010. So they are not really comparable.
Tromsø (70 N) is more oceanic than Anchorage.
Interestingly, just SE of Tromsø (80 min drive), situated at the innermost part of a long fjord (like Anchorage) is Storfjord / Skibotn, with a climate much less oceanic and more similar to Anchorage - precipitation is almost the same: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storfjord#Climate
Too bad there is no avg high /avg low - I would guess summer high is 2-3C warmer than in Tromsø and winter correspondingly colder.
Anchorage seems to have more stable winters. Tromsø is just a bit too prone to mild winter weather. I do prefer Tromsø's summers for being slightly cooler, but both are very appealing. Anchorage also seems more appealing for having more sunshine hours, even in the winter. Tromsø is a bit too cloudy, though I wouldn't mind its cloudiness if the alternative were something ridiculously hot and sunny (like my area).
No snowfall numbers for Tromsø, but it would seem that it gets more than Anchorage. That would make me favor Tromsø a bit more. But Anchorage's snow averages are certainly good, as well. I assume the snowpack is pretty stable in Anchorage and winter rain is much less common. The possibility of winter rain (and the often messy, icy conditions the Wikipedia article mentions about Tromsø) makes me lean a bit more towards Anchorage.
Really tough choice. Great poll, by the way. I'd really love to live in either city. But all things considered, I'll go with Anchorage. I think the greater winter stability, lower latitude, and sunshine hours are a few deciding factors for me.
Tromsø's climate is a complete joke for a subarctic climate. Average winter lows of -6C and record lows of -18C at 70N? Lame.
At least Anchorage has the potential for some real cold spells with periods of temps below -20C. Also, Anchorage gets abundant snowfall without all of the ice that Tromsø gets:
Quote:
Tromsø has the mistaken reputation of accumulating a lot of snow in winter, but it is actually ice that prevails in the area, especially in the first half of the winter.
would be interesting to know the amount of average annual snow days in anchorage vs tromsö. despite the much milder winters, and the odd day with winter rain, i think the very low sd:s in tromsö makes it more reliable for continuous snow cover.
would be interesting to know the amount of average annual snow days in anchorage vs tromsö. despite the much milder winters, and the odd day with winter rain, i think the very low sd:s in tromsö makes it more reliable for continuous snow cover.
Data from metno with base period 1971-2000, regarding snow on the ground in Tromsø (100 m):
188 days/year with at least 5 cm / 2 inc snow cover on the ground
160 days/year with at least 25 cm / 10 inc snow cover
124 day / year with at least 50 cm 19.5 inc snow cover on the ground Tromsø (Troms) - met.no
As winter has a lot of day with temperature close to 0C, there are large variation due to elevation (and from year to year), and down in the city center (5 m asl) the amount of snow on the ground is often not quite as large as this recording site even if it is just 1 km away.
Still, snow is pretty much garanteed in Tromsø in winter.
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Lame.
