Everyone wants a bit of a blissful breeze or a scoop of sunny sanctuary when looking for a place to live in Alaska.
The more sun, the more you can go outside. The more you go outside, the more you’ll feel at peace. The more you’ll feel at peace, the more you’ll enjoy where you live.
So it makes sense to try and find the places with the best weather in Alaska. We used Saturday Night Science to compare the number of sunny days, total precipitation, and the deviation from the ideal 70-degree weather for 6 places in Alaska over 14,000 people.
Grab your shades and put away your raincoat as we look at the cities with the best weather in Alaska.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table
What city has the best weather in Alaska, with more than 14,000 people? The city with the best weather in Alaska is Fairbanks with 59.2 sunny days and an average high of 38.1 degrees.
Read on below to see where your city ranked.
And if you already knew these places were beautiful, check out the best places to live in Alaska or the cheapest places in Alaska.
The 10 Snowiest Cities In Alaska For 2024
Population: 32,193
Average Annual High: 38.1 degrees
Average Annual Low: 18.2 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 59.2 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 13.2 inches
Sunny Days: 327.5 days
More on Fairbanks: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 21,197
Average Annual High: 38.1 degrees
Average Annual Low: 18.2 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 59.2 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 13.2 inches
Sunny Days: 327.5 days
More on Badger: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 14,675
Average Annual High: 38.1 degrees
Average Annual Low: 18.2 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 59.2 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 13.2 inches
Sunny Days: 327.5 days
More on College: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 32,531
Average Annual High: 48.5 degrees
Average Annual Low: 37.0 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 78.2 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 77.2 inches
Sunny Days: 204.5 days
More on Juneau: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 299,107
Average Annual High: 41.9 degrees
Average Annual Low: 27.0 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 93.3 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 19.1 inches
Sunny Days: 315.3 days
More on Anchorage: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
Population: 16,017
Average Annual High: 44.5 degrees
Average Annual Low: 25.6 degrees
Average Annual Snowfall: 90.0 inches
Average Annual Precipitation: 23.0 inches
Sunny Days: 303.9 days
More on Knik-Fairview: Data | Cost Of Living | Real Estate
How We Determined The Cities In Alaska With The Best Weather
To rank the most fair weather cities in Alaska, we used Saturday Night Science and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) database, to see which cities in the Last Frontier get the best weather.
We used the following criteria to find the best weather:
- Number of sunny days
- Highest average low
- Average high deviation from 70 degrees
- Least amount of rain
- Least amount of snow
We ranked each city of over 14,000 people in Alaska from best to worst on each criterion. We then averaged each ranking into a weather quality index. The city with the best index, Fairbanks, was anointed the city with the best weather in Alaska.
Before we get too far, here are the annual precipitation rates for major cities:
- Anchorage — 19.1 inches
- Juneau — 77.2 inches
- Fairbanks — 13.2 inches
The cities with the best weather in Alaska are Fairbanks, Badger, College, Juneau, Anchorage, and Knik-Fairview.
There’s a complete chart at the bottom.
If you’re curious, here are the places with the worst weather in Alaska:
- Knik-Fairview
- Anchorage
- Juneau
For more Alaska reading, check out:
Detailed List Of Places With The Best Weather In Alaska
| Rank | City | Population | Sunny Days | Avg. High | Precipitation (Inches) | Snow (Inches) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fairbanks | 32,193 | 327.5 | 38.1 | 13.2 | 59.2 |
| 2 | Badger | 21,197 | 327.5 | 38.1 | 13.2 | 59.2 |
| 3 | College | 14,675 | 327.5 | 38.1 | 13.2 | 59.2 |
| 4 | Juneau | 32,531 | 204.5 | 48.5 | 77.2 | 78.2 |
| 5 | Anchorage | 299,107 | 315.3 | 41.9 | 19.1 | 93.3 |
| 6 | Knik-Fairview | 16,017 | 303.9 | 44.5 | 23.0 | 90.0 |