Sunshine hours in Anchorage: 2,063 hours a year, month by month

Anchorage gets 2,063 hours of sunshine a year on average (5.7 a day). Sunniest month: May with 289 hours. Every month, measured 1961–1990.

• Anchorage gets 2,063 hours of sunshine a year on average, 5.7 a day – 46% of the astronomically possible. The sunniest month is May with 289 hours (9.3 a day), the dullest December with 52 (1.7 a day).
• Number 310 of 311 large cities in the United States.
• Nearest weather station: Anchorage/Intl, AK, 8 km away – 1961–1990 average, NOAA.

Sunshine hours month by month

• January: 83 h · 2.7 h a day · 41 %
• February: 121 h · 4.3 h a day · 48 %
• March: 196 h · 6.3 h a day · 54 %
• April: 235 h · 7.8 h a day · 53 %
• May: 289 h · 9.3 h a day · 53 %
• June: 275 h · 9.2 h a day · 48 %
• July: 250 h · 8.1 h a day · 44 %
• August: 204 h · 6.6 h a day · 42 %
• September: 160 h · 5.3 h a day · 41 %
• October: 117 h · 3.8 h a day · 38 %
• November: 81 h · 2.7 h a day · 37 %
• December: 52 h · 1.7 h a day · 30 %

Questions about sunshine hours

• How many hours of sunshine does Anchorage get a year? On average over 1961–1990 the sun shines in Anchorage for 2,063 hours a year – 5.7 hours a day and 46% of the time the sun is above the horizon.
• What is the sunniest month in Anchorage? May, with 289 hours of sunshine, 9.3 a day on average. The least sun comes in December: 52 hours, 1.7 a day.
• Is Anchorage a sunny city? Among the 311 large cities in the United States with measurements, Anchorage ranks number 310.
• Where do the figures come from? From the WMO climate normals 1961–1990 as archived by NOAA. There are no newer figures: the US stopped measuring sunshine duration in the 1990s. Anchorage uses the station Anchorage/Intl, AK, measured 1961–1990.
• What counts as an hour of sunshine? By the World Meteorological Organization's definition the sun is shining once its direct radiation exceeds 120 watts per square metre. Just after sunrise and before sunset it is often too weak – which is why even deserts never reach 100%.

The sunniest large cities: United States

• 1. Phoenix: 3,873 h a year
• 2. Las Vegas: 3,826 h a year
• 3. Tucson: 3,806 h a year
• 4. Reno: 3,647 h a year
• 5. Sacramento: 3,609 h a year
• 6. Fresno: 3,565 h a year
• 7. Chico: 3,542 h a year
• 8. Colorado Springs: 3,463 h a year
• 9. Albuquerque: 3,414 h a year
• 10. Amarillo: 3,298 h a year

The cloudiest large cities: United States

• 1. Pittsburgh: 1,972 h a year
• 2. Anchorage: 2,063 h a year
• 3. Syracuse: 2,120 h a year
• 4. Seattle: 2,170 h a year
• 5. Columbus: 2,182 h a year
• 6. Grand Rapids: 2,188 h a year
• 7. Buffalo: 2,206 h a year
• 8. Meads: 2,259 h a year
• 9. Cleveland: 2,281 h a year
• 10. Rochester: 2,299 h a year

The sunniest large cities in the world

• 1. Mexicali: 4,017 h a year
• 2. Phoenix: 3,873 h a year
• 3. Las Vegas: 3,826 h a year
• 4. Tucson: 3,806 h a year
• 5. Ciudad Juárez: 3,763 h a year
• 6. Reno: 3,647 h a year
• 7. Dubai: 3,610 h a year
• 8. Sacramento: 3,609 h a year
• 9. Victoria de Durango: 3,573 h a year
• 10. Fresno: 3,565 h a year

The cloudiest large cities in the world

• 1. Chengdu: 962 h a year
• 2. Chongqing: 985 h a year
• 3. Sukabumi: 1,082 h a year
• 4. Glasgow: 1,153 h a year
• 5. Tanjung Pinang: 1,172 h a year
• 6. Medan: 1,201 h a year
• 7. Samarinda: 1,275 h a year
• 8. Sungai Penuh: 1,311 h a year
• 9. Limerick: 1,339 h a year
• 10. Huaihua: 1,352 h a year

• Data: NOAA, WMO climate normals of sunshine duration, 1961–1990 average, public domain. Possible hours: time between sunrise and sunset.