Winters are characterized by extensive cloudiness in the coastal regions. These clouds are associated with migratory lows and generally disperse inland as the systems lose their moisture. Wind speeds are generally light in the continental arctic interior throughout the year. The strongest winds in the interior normally occur during the summer and fall. During the winter, the interior continental regions are areas of strong anticyclonic activity that produce only light surface winds.
Strong winds occur more frequently along the arctic coast than in the continental interiors.
The frequency with which these high winds occur in coastal areas is greater in the fall and winter than in the summer. These winds frequently cause blowing snow. Very strong wind speeds have been observed at many arctic coastal stations. As a result, the combination of wind speed and low temperatures produces equivalent wind chill temperatures that are ex-treme and severely limit outdoor human activity. Precipitation amounts are small, varying from 5 to 15 inches annually in the continental interior and 3 to 7 inches along the arctic coastal area and over the ice pack.