Valdez, Alaska: Valdez is an interesting place to monitor weather from, considering it's extreme northern latitude and exposure to the Polar jetstream. Valdez is nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the Chugach Mountain Range, and is recognized for it's world-class skiing close by, record amounts of snowfall (47 feet in 1989/1990), and quality fishing both in the ocean and rivers that surround the city. Valdez is also known for the second-largest oil spill in American history caused by the Exxon Valdez in 1989--coincidentally the same year they received a record of 47 feet of snow, and Valdez has also experienced one of the two largest earthquakes ever recorded at a measurement of 9.2. The city is home to only 4,100 residents, but has all the amenities of a slightly larger town due to the large influx of fisherman and snow-lovers brought in through tourism.
Valdez Weather Overview:
Here is a chart showing the average and record temperatures per month:
Chart: Valdez Convention and Visitors Bureau
Valdez has relatively moderate temperatures in comparison to the areas further inland, because the ocean absorbs most of the insolation in order to supply the latent heat flux, a less extreme fluctuation in temperature is experienced in comparison to its inland neighbors of the same latitude. September and October see the most precipitation, while May and June are the driest with average temperatures ranging from about 20 degrees F in January to 55 degrees F in July.
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