Anchorage has a maritime climate modified by its 61 degree north latitude and by continental influences. Summers are cool and winters are cold. However, Anchorage seldomly experiences the seasonal temperature extremes of interior Alaska or the north-central U.S. Total precipitation for Anchorage is only 15.91 inches per year, with the greatest amount being recorded in late summer and fall. Total snowfall averages 69.3 inches, but is mostly light and dry, i.e. low in water content. The color and shape of the aurora varies according to how hard the gas particles are being struck.
Auroras occur most frequently in the spring and fall months, because of the tilt of the planet.
Residents of Fairbanks at latitude 65 degrees north see the aurora an average of 240 nights per year. Although that is generally true in rural areas of Alaska, especially fishing and mining communities, it is not true for Anchorage.