Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1899-06-16
CLIMATE OF ALASKA.
IT IS LITTLE UNDERSTOOD BY
MOST PEOPLE.
conpares Favorab,y with That Of the
Northern states-winter in South
era Country Not Excessively Cold,
Like That Ia Yukon District.

Doubtless there Is no part of the
earth tie climate OF which is as little
understood by the average man and
woman as that Of Alaska. Most Of the
people Of the United States, especially
those east of the Rockies. have only n
hazy recollection of Alaska or Russia
in America" as described in their
childhood's geography; and the mod
ern "Klondikc" has only dissipated
that haze sufficiently to allow their WIS.,
ion to he concentrated on that one
point. To them whatever happens in
"Klondike" of course happens In all
other parts of Alaska. They forget
that the Klondike aud the Yukon III
try is separated from the southern
coast by a range OF great mountains,
and that consequently the coast line
has a vastly different climate from
that Of the interior. They forget that
the proximity of the Pacific, and the
prevailing westerly winds over that
ocean, give the southern coastal region
of Alaska q climate having n compare
lively small range of temperature;
while the interior. shut OFF from these
modifying influences, is subject to
truly arctic rigors In winter which
scarcely affect the southern sections.
1t is safe to say that before the discov-
cry of gold in the Klondike scarcely
u person in ten knew the length and
breadth Of the district, and some of the
mistakes and guesses made are ludi-
crous in the extreme.
Southeastern Alaska, at least as far
as temperate conditions are concerned.
has a climate that many of the States
may envy. remembering the severity of
the cold waves that have swept the
country from Montana to Florida. 1t
is true that Southeastern Alaska has u
considerably greater amount Of pre-
cipitation and more rainy or snowy
days than most of the States OF the
Union; however. the absence of cold
waves and d~isastrously sudden
changes in temperature will go far OH
the credit side of the Southern Alaska
ledger. The interior. deprived in Il
great measure of the soothing effect OF
the ocean. of curse has u rigid climate
In winter, yet the summer months are
warm. often oppressive.
The coast line has had considerable
more rain or SNOW than the mainland
juneau and Skaguay-and the num-
Der of clear and partly cloudy days at
Juneau and SkaGuay is more than
twice az great as art Sitka and Kills
moo. In fact, the winter weather of
Juneau and Skaguay will favorably
compare With that of any of the North.
ern Statcs-indeed. with many OF the
Southern. The Western bureau bull
lettns of February 10 reported Il tenn
peratule of 9 degrees below zero u.
having occurred on the 18th at Talla
hassee, Fla. On that date. at Juneau
and at Sitka. the lowest temperatures
were: Juneau. :33 degrees; Sitka. 35 de
grees, while the lowest temperature OF
the winter was 4 degrees below zero II,
Skaguay, In December and January
When it is remembered that Skaguuy
is about 1900 miles farther north from
the equator than Tallahassee, the diff
ference becomes more striking, and
should turn the tide of winter trave
toward Alaska.-Seattle Post-Intclli
o~co