Most folks live in the southern portion of Alaska. The pacific keeps things fairly temperate. They do get a lot of rain (the rainfall in Ketchican is measured in feet) and snow in the winter, but along the coast much of the snow is melted on a daily basis. Inland and to the north, it can be ungodly cold.
The people are very friendly. While visiting Juneau, I was in a car with my cousin who lives there, and in the downtown area, in the middle of an intersection, two cars stopped so that the drivers could talk to each other. Yes, there was traffic that was blocked, but not a single person honked their horn. Unbelievable.
Plenty of sun in the spring and summer. Not much in the winter. In the winter, going to the bar is a favorite past time. Alcoholism rates are higher than the lower 48.
People are independent, but also rely on their neighbors and help their neighbors. The scenery is breath taking, but look out for the black flies!
Thank you, mlocher!
“Most folks live in the southern portion of Alaska. The pacific keeps things fairly temperate. They do get a lot of rain (the rainfall in Ketchican is measured in feet) and snow in the winter, but along the coast much of the snow is melted on a daily basis. Inland and to the north, it can be ungodly cold.”
True, except for the part about snow melting on a daily basis. You find that in southeast (Juneau, Ketchikan, etc.), and nowhere else. I live in Valdez, last winter every snowflake that fell during the winter was still there by spring. We average around 30 feet of snow per winter.
Trust me, for those who are not overly fond of winter person, Alaska is not the place for you. After you have been here a while you come to realize that is what Alaska is all about - winter.