Viewing Conditions At Hubbard Glacier

Looking at sailing Alaska next year . Want to visit Hubbard Glacier for the first time . Comments on this Board concerning viewing of this glacier are quite positive . Question for those who have been there : How are weather and water conditions mid-May at Hubbard with respect to re rain , fog , ice in the water ? Other dates not practical for us . Will glacier viewing at Hubbard be severly compromised that time of year ?

Thanks in advance

Looking at sailing Alaska next year . Want to visit Hubbard Glacier for the first time . Comments on this Board concerning viewing of this glacier are quite positive . Question for those who have been there : How are weather and water conditions mid-May at Hubbard with respect to re rain , fog , ice in the water ? Other dates not practical for us . Will glacier viewing at Hubbard be severly compromised that time of year ?

Thanks in advance

On a cruise starting late May that was primarily rainy, overcast windy and/or cold, our day at Hubbard was exceptionally sunny and superb That is Alaska for you. Alaska weather, just like visiting Noway fjords is always variable. And can change in a few hours, or not. Ice bergs that prevent full transit to the Hubbard glacier can be a bigger issue than sunshine when visiting this remarkable spot.

But was Hubbard any more or less spectacular than the other glaciers visited on this 14 day Zaandam cruise, that is anyone's call. We actually saw and heard more massive calving at Endicott, though all of our glacier viewing provided these awe-inspiring experiences.

May CAN be "iffy" at Hubbard, due to fog or too much ice still around...but it also can be fine. The safest glacier viewing that time of year is Glacier Bay, but I still prefer Hubbard...look online for photos of it and note times taken.

https://photos.smugmug.com/Travel/2016/Alaska-Celebrity-Cruise/i-GQ3sggj/0/10e0407a/L/_DSC3655-Pano-L.jpg

Trying to predict Alaskan weather is like picking lotto numbers. It also can change mid day and be different one day to the next. We have done 3 Alaskan cruises with the first one where we never saw the sun. The following cruises had both nice hot weather and cool raining weather during the 14 day cruise. Some people say that cloudy weather gives better color to the glaciers and ice. We have been to Glacier Bay once and the Hubbard glacier twice. We like Hubbard much better since it is over 3 miles wide and it had a lot calving events. Here are a few shots of Hubbard.

2011

2011

2014

2014

Like others have said, predicting the weather in Alaska is a gamble. That being said, we've had mostly good weather in mid- and late-May. One year the ship's dancers were up on one of the highest decks sun bathing. Yakutat Bay, which is where Hubbard Glacier is located, is much wider than a lot of other fjords in SW Alaska, so while there may be ice in the water it usually doesn't impair the viewing experience - it just means you won't get as close as you would if it was ice free. You'll still see the calving and hear the "white thunder".

We were at Glacier Bay in mid-May a couple of years ago and could not get close to the main glacier due to too much ice in the water. Many people were very disappointed. We had just seen it the previous Sept so not a big deal for us.

Another reason you may not get really close to the glacier is the presence of seal pups on the ice floes. Cruise ships don't approach when there are pups. We have had good weather but once stayed relatively far away because of the pups. We could still see Hubbard, but not as shown in the above pics. Both times we were at Hubbard it was mid to lateish May.

We've done three Alaska cruises with HAL - the first was to Hubbard. We weren't able to get very close as I recall the first week of June. Our best glacier viewing was Glacier Bay the last time we were up. I would have to think (as others have said) it would entirely depend on the weather.

On our sailing the third week of May a couple years ago, we had great weather the whole time and Hubbard was awesome. The captain said it was the closest he had been able to get to it for a long time. The next week's sailing missed Hubbard entirely due to fog. So I agree with others - no way to predict.

Thanks so much to everyone who responded to my questions . Your answers were very helpful and provided useful information as to what can be expected during this time of year . And the pictures you posted were gorgeous ! Looks like Hubbard Glacier is a " must see " in an area of the country with so much beauty already .

Thanks again . Very much appreciated .

Cruise Critic members are awesome .