CONDITIONS

The Western Chugach Range is bordered by The Cook Inlet of the Pacific Ocean. Its proximity to the ocean creates a maritime climate. Clouds thick with moisture travel across the Pacific with the Japanese Current. These clouds reach Alaska, slam into the Chugach and mix with the cold, arctic air of the interior and dump record amounts of snow. The Chugach Range receives between 500 - 1,100 in (1,250 - 2,750 cm) of snowfall each winter with an average of 750 in (1,875 cm) atop the peaks ensuring excellent powder conditions.

Another benefit of a maritime climate is mild temperature. The average temps in February and March are 15 - 25 F (-9 to -4 C). Occasionally, arctic air will encroach causing cold conditions, but rarely is the temperature below zero degrees (-17 C) for long, even in mid-winter.