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| Information courtesy of the National Climate Data Center | ||||||||||||||||
| Annette is located on Annette Island, one of the islands at the southern tip of the Alexander Archipelago of southeastern Alaska and is 20 airline miles south of Ketchikan. Due to the proximity of Pacific Ocean waters, particularly to the south and west, the climate of Annette is maritime. Temperatures are relatively mild and daily variations between high and low readings are confined within rather narrow limits, with the ranges between average maximum and minimum readings for all months of the year averaging 8 to 13 degrees. Periods of sub-freezing temperatures seldom extend beyond ten days duration. A minimum reading below zero is a rare occurrence. Conversely, extreme high temperatures occur infrequently during the summer months. Temperatures reach the middle 80s nearly every summer. It is not unusual for daily maximum readings to remain in the 50s during the summer months. Because it is located almost directly in the path of easterly-moving storms crossing the Gulf of Alaska, Annette experiences frequent and relatively heavy precipitation with annual amounts closely approximating that of the immediate coastal regions of Washington and Oregon. October and November are usually the wettest months and the greatest percentage of precipitation, even in the winter months, occurs in the form of rain. Some snow, mixed with rain, may occur as early as October. However, appreciable snowfall seldom occurs from late March to late November. Accumulated snow depths of a foot or more are infrequent and, because of moderating temperatures, snow cover seldom persists beyond a week or two. Topography has a pronounced effect on precipitation in this region and Annette averages 65 percent as much as Ketchikan, only 20 miles to the north. Despite relatively heavy precipitation, flood damage is seldom of consequence because of the small drainage areas and steep topography which provide rapid escape of surface runoff into the sea. Strong southeasterly winds are frequent from October through March. Thick fogs are infrequent and of short duration. Thunderstorms average one or two a year and generally are the result of frontal activity. The considerable amount of cloudiness prevalent over this area results in a corresponding low percentage of possible sunshine. |
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