Alaska Southwest & Aleutians Flying Weather
AK · 2006–2025 · 12 eligible airports
The stormiest maritime regime in the United States: Bering Sea and North Pacific lows track through in rapid succession, giving the Aleutians near-constant strong wind, frequent low ceilings and fog, severe turbulence in island lee sides, and weather that can flip from VFR to LIFR within an hour. Kodiak and Bristol Bay take heavy winter storms with widespread icing, while summer sea fog is persistent along the Bering coast and the Y-K Delta. Volcanic ash from the active Aleutian arc is a distinct region-specific hazard requiring en route diversion planning. The brief mid-summer period is the best flying; the fall-through-winter storm parade is the worst.
- Daylight VFR
- 61.2%
- VFR days/yr
- 161
- Mean wind
- 9.4 kt
- Most VFR month
- October
- Fewest VFR month
- July
- VFR Score
- 22
Regional standouts
VFR conditions by month
Regional average across eligible airports
| Month | VFR % |
|---|---|
| Jan | 64.0% |
| Feb | 61.3% |
| Mar | 64.6% |
| Apr | 64.3% |
| May | 64.1% |
| Jun | 59.3% |
| Jul | 50.8% |
| Aug | 54.5% |
| Sep | 66.4% |
| Oct | 68.7% |
| Nov | 64.8% |
| Dec | 63.5% |
Average wind by month
Regional average sustained wind
| Month | Mean wind (kt) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 10.3 kt |
| Feb | 10.7 kt |
| Mar | 9.9 kt |
| Apr | 9.8 kt |
| May | 9.0 kt |
| Jun | 8.2 kt |
| Jul | 7.6 kt |
| Aug | 7.9 kt |
| Sep | 8.9 kt |
| Oct | 9.8 kt |
| Nov | 10.2 kt |
| Dec | 10.6 kt |
Every airport in Alaska Southwest & Aleutians, ranked
Sort by any column. Best VFR Score first.
| PACDCold Bay Airport | Cold Bay | 49.6 | 18.4 | 100 | 13 kt | 9 |
| PADKAdak Airport | Adak | 40.9 | 16.0 | 66 | 11 kt | 10 |
| PADUTom Madsen (Dutch Harbor) Airport | Unalaska | 46.2 | 8.7 | 98 | 9 kt | 14 |
| PADQKodiak Airport | Kodiak | 62.7 | 12.4 | 187 | 7 kt | 15 |
| PASMSt Mary's Airport | St Mary's | 60.4 | 21.0 | 152 | 8 kt | 15 |
| PAPHPort Heiden Airport | Port Heiden | 60.9 | 16.4 | 160 | 10 kt | 15 |
| PABEBethel Airport | Bethel | 67.8 | 14.7 | 185 | 9 kt | 16 |
| PASDSand Point Airport | Sand Point | 54.0 | 9.4 | 136 | 8 kt | 17 |
| PAKNKing Salmon Airport | King Salmon | 74.7 | 11.1 | 217 | 7 kt | 33 |
| PAIGIgiugig Airport | Igiugig | 74.8 | 10.9 | 204 | 7 kt | 37 |
| PANIAniak Airport | Aniak | 73.9 | 9.1 | 190 | 5 kt | 38 |
| PAILIliamna Airport | Iliamna | 80.1 | 5.9 | 236 | 7 kt | 47 |
The pattern in Alaska Southwest & Aleutians
Across 2006–2025, the 12 eligible airports in Alaska Southwest & Aleutians reported VFR conditions during about 61.2% of valid daytime observations, with an estimated 161 VFR flying days per year and a mean surface wind of 9.4 kt. PAIL (Iliamna Airport) had the most VFR weather at 80.5%. PASM saw the most instrument conditions, at 21.0% IFR/LIFR. The lowest-ranked eligible field by VFR Score was PACD (Cold Bay Airport).
Neighboring regions
How Alaska Southwest & Aleutians is defined
AK boroughs/census areas: Kusilvak, Bethel, Dillingham, Bristol Bay, Lake and Peninsula, Kodiak Island, Aleutians East, Aleutians West. (The Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Bristol Bay, Kodiak, and the Aleutian chain; complementary to alaska-interior, alaska-arctic, and alaska-southeast.)
Educational use only. Historical weather rankings from ATIS Alerts are educational summaries of past observations — not a forecast, flight-planning tool, or safety rating. They do not replace current METARs, TAFs, NOTAMs, ATIS, or a weather briefing, and favorable history does not make any airport safe. Always check current conditions and use your own judgment before flight.