One of the most interesting aspects of our regional environment - and challenging for weather forecasts - is the interplay between the air over the oceans and the air over the land, combined with the oversized influence of the mountains. This is responsible for the many distinct microclimates on the Seward Peninsula.
Now, at this time of year, as nights rapidly lengthen, valley fog readily forms inland when skies are clear, but that typically burns off in the morning hours along the coast, fog can take much longer to move out, and all of this is modulated by the winds, where onshore versus offshore winds can dramatically change the hour to hour conditions on the coast. Now, especially this time of year, when many folks are spending considerable time inland, it's important for forecasters to understand and communicate these sometimes large differences in expected weather.
