Weather Alaska cruise May?

Expected weather inside passage Alaska cruise in May?

Cold or warm. Wet or dry.

We have cruised Alaska twice in May, one in late August and once in early September. The best weather was in May. In 2017, according to the officers onboard the ship, it was the wettest Alaska season that they could remember with lots of rain in July and August. So, you really can't tell. We were in Alaska in May when it was 80 degrees in Juneau (had to go out and buy t-shirts as we did not pack for such warm weather).

If we go to Alaska again, it would be in May but I would bring clothing that I could layer which would accommodate both the warmer and cooler temperatures.

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You could Google search weather for a couple of your ports..."Juneau May weather", or "Sitka May weather" for the factual (as opposed to anecdotal) data.

Could be cold. Could be warm. Might have calm seas, might have storms. Could be windy, could be calm. The only way to plan for AK, is layers with a water proof top layer.

Cold or warm. Wet or dry.

Absolutely correct. I’ve seen it all different ways.

Layer, layer, layer.

And if you do as Bruce suggests you'll find that statistically May is the driest cruise month for the typical SE Alaska ports. But since any individual day has very limited impact on a 10+ year statistical dataset, just because the 'average' May day is warmish and dryish doesn't mean diddly-squat for any of the days that you will be in the area. Even checking the records for coldest/hottest/wettest over the period doesn't guarantee you'll fall within those ranges, new records will be set some time...

Which is why asking about the weather forecast is 100% pointless - by the time it's close enough to be accurate you're already there and either have the right clothes and accessories or you don't. More than 72hours out is worthless throughout the PNW unless a very large weather system has parked itself on top of us (then we might have a good idea that conditions will remain the same for up to a week).

What you need to do is pack layers of clothing so that no matter WHAT the weather does, you can still enjoy your days in port. Comfy footwear (waterproof best, but better a broken-in old pair of running shoes you can waterproof temporarily with spray than the best brand-new boots that will give you blisters and make life miserable), thin breathable layers for next to the body if it's really cold (cotton longjohns are dirt cheap if you're not from somewhere cold enough that investing in topnotch silks is worthwhile), T-shirts/regular shirts (at least a couple each of long and short sleeved), short & long pants (zip-off legs are idea, both in one set), a couple of sweatshirts/fleeces/jumpers as a middle warmth layer if it's cold or a top layer if it's dry and cool, a waterproof/windproof shell for the top (worn without middle layers when wet but warm - a good breathable one is best, but expensive - so if you don't already own one don't bother. You're coming back to the ship daily so have time to dry out, it's not like you'll be doing multi-day hikes and camping out while cruising), and gloves/hat/scarf (I take both a toque and a wide-brimmed hat - the latter is good for keeping both sun and rain off your face) for glacier days, which in May will be chilly even on a hot day as you're sailing around next to a freezer. They also roll up really small.

Extra socks are not only a blessing if you get your feet wet, but double as useful mittens and longer ones even as a scarf in an emergency.

We have taken many Alaska cruises including several in the same month and what I can tell you is that one time it could be wet, another time overcast, another time sunny. Could be cold warm or even hot.

I like going in May but the key is to layer your clothing.

Keith

I do want to add that I would layer your clothing anytime of the cruising season in Alaska.

Keith

Layers, layers, layers.

Bring short sleeved t-shirt. Bring a sweater. Bring a fleece or down vest, bring a waterproof rain jacket. Add gloves and a hat. This way you can add or subtract layers as needed.