Best time to visit Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve
The short answer
Best months to visit Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve: June–August. Daily highs run about 55–60°F, with visitor numbers near the yearly peak (August).
Hardest months: December–March, mostly because of cold weather.
How we picked these months: each month is scored on daily highs (65–82°F is ideal), rain, snow and seasonal closures, then reduced by up to 30% for crowds, measured against the park's busiest month. We list the months within 15% of the top score (at most 5).
Weather and crowds by month
Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve month by month
Park-wide averages across 4 locations. Crowds compare each month with the park's busiest month: Quiet is under 35% of it, Moderate under 60%, Busy under 85%, Peak above that.
| Month | Rating | High / low | Rain | Snow | Crowds | Closures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Poor | 37° / 31°F | 7.9 in | 44.2 in | Quiet | Glacier Bay Visitor Center Desk; Visitor Information Station (VIS); Xunaa Shuká Hít (Huna Tribal House) |
| February | Poor | 34° / 28°F | 3.7 in | 36.9 in | Quiet | Glacier Bay Visitor Center Desk; Visitor Information Station (VIS); Xunaa Shuká Hít (Huna Tribal House) |
| March | Poor | 37° / 30°F | 3.0 in | 33.8 in | Quiet | Glacier Bay Visitor Center Desk; Visitor Information Station (VIS); Xunaa Shuká Hít (Huna Tribal House) |
| April | Poor | 43° / 35°F | 4.6 in | 22.0 in | Quiet | Glacier Bay Visitor Center Desk; Visitor Information Station (VIS); Xunaa Shuká Hít (Huna Tribal House) |
| May | Fair | 51° / 42°F | 5.8 in | 2.3 in | Busy | Glacier Bay Visitor Center Desk; Xunaa Shuká Hít (Huna Tribal House) |
| June | Best | 57° / 49°F | 5.7 in | 1.3 in | Peak | – |
| July | Best | 61° / 53°F | 6.4 in | – | Peak | – |
| August | Best | 61° / 53°F | 11.6 in | – | Peak | – |
| September | Fair | 56° / 48°F | 13.4 in | 1.3 in | Busy | Glacier Bay Visitor Center Desk; Xunaa Shuká Hít (Huna Tribal House) |
| October | Poor | 47° / 41°F | 14.5 in | 8.3 in | Moderate | Glacier Bay Visitor Center Desk; Visitor Information Station (VIS); Xunaa Shuká Hít (Huna Tribal House) |
| November | Poor | 39° / 33°F | 8.5 in | 35.5 in | Quiet | Glacier Bay Visitor Center Desk; Visitor Information Station (VIS); Xunaa Shuká Hít (Huna Tribal House) |
| December | Poor | 37° / 31°F | 7.1 in | 46.4 in | Quiet | Glacier Bay Visitor Center Desk; Visitor Information Station (VIS); Xunaa Shuká Hít (Huna Tribal House) |
Weather by location
Parks with a big range of elevation can differ a lot from one area to another. Open a location to see its own numbers.
Bartlett Cove
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36°F | 30°F | 9.0 in | 18.0 in |
| February | 34°F | 26°F | 4.3 in | 20.2 in |
| March | 38°F | 30°F | 3.5 in | 15.8 in |
| April | 45°F | 35°F | 5.3 in | 6.1 in |
| May | 54°F | 42°F | 5.0 in | – |
| June | 58°F | 49°F | 5.3 in | – |
| July | 62°F | 53°F | 5.9 in | – |
| August | 61°F | 53°F | 10.3 in | – |
| September | 56°F | 48°F | 11.4 in | – |
| October | 47°F | 41°F | 12.4 in | 1.9 in |
| November | 39°F | 33°F | 8.5 in | 15.5 in |
| December | 36°F | 30°F | 7.4 in | 21.0 in |
Glacier Bay
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34°F | 28°F | 6.1 in | 88.9 in |
| February | 31°F | 24°F | 2.4 in | 58.8 in |
| March | 34°F | 28°F | 2.0 in | 58.0 in |
| April | 40°F | 33°F | 4.2 in | 41.5 in |
| May | 50°F | 40°F | 7.0 in | 3.8 in |
| June | 58°F | 48°F | 6.6 in | – |
| July | 62°F | 53°F | 6.8 in | – |
| August | 61°F | 52°F | 12.2 in | – |
| September | 55°F | 47°F | 15.6 in | – |
| October | 45°F | 38°F | 16.3 in | 16.7 in |
| November | 36°F | 30°F | 8.3 in | 62.6 in |
| December | 34°F | 28°F | 5.4 in | 89.5 in |
Outer Coast
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40°F | 32°F | 8.8 in | 46.1 in |
| February | 37°F | 30°F | 3.7 in | 49.5 in |
| March | 39°F | 31°F | 3.0 in | 42.8 in |
| April | 44°F | 35°F | 4.7 in | 30.1 in |
| May | 51°F | 43°F | 6.7 in | 4.7 in |
| June | 56°F | 49°F | 5.8 in | 5.0 in |
| July | 60°F | 53°F | 6.7 in | 0.9 in |
| August | 60°F | 54°F | 13.2 in | 1.4 in |
| September | 56°F | 49°F | 14.9 in | 5.0 in |
| October | 49°F | 41°F | 17.4 in | 12.6 in |
| November | 42°F | 34°F | 9.8 in | 43.0 in |
| December | 39°F | 31°F | 9.2 in | 51.5 in |
Gustavus
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37°F | 32°F | 7.9 in | 23.7 in |
| February | 35°F | 30°F | 4.3 in | 19.2 in |
| March | 38°F | 33°F | 3.3 in | 18.6 in |
| April | 44°F | 37°F | 4.3 in | 10.2 in |
| May | 52°F | 44°F | 4.6 in | – |
| June | 56°F | 50°F | 5.2 in | – |
| July | 59°F | 54°F | 6.1 in | – |
| August | 60°F | 55°F | 10.7 in | – |
| September | 55°F | 50°F | 11.8 in | – |
| October | 48°F | 43°F | 12.1 in | 2.1 in |
| November | 40°F | 36°F | 7.4 in | 21.1 in |
| December | 38°F | 33°F | 6.5 in | 23.4 in |
Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve by season
Spring (March–May)
Spring (March–May) is a difficult time to visit Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve. Daily highs average 37–51°F and lows 30–42°F. Expect about 4.5 in of rain a month and 19.3 in of snow, with up to 0 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 0–69% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards. Closures listed by the NPS: Glacier Bay Visitor Center Desk; Visitor Information Station (VIS); Xunaa Shuká Hít (Huna Tribal House).
Summer (June–August)
Summer (June–August) is among the best times to visit Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve. Daily highs average 57–61°F and lows 49–53°F. Expect about 7.9 in of rain a month and little or no snow. Visitor numbers run 91–100% of the busiest month, which is peak by this park's standards.
Fall (September–November)
Fall (September–November) is a difficult time to visit Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve. Daily highs average 39–56°F and lows 33–48°F. Expect about 12.2 in of rain a month and 15.1 in of snow, with up to 0 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 0–76% of the busiest month, which is moderate by this park's standards. Closures listed by the NPS: Glacier Bay Visitor Center Desk; Xunaa Shuká Hít (Huna Tribal House); Visitor Information Station (VIS).
Winter (December–February)
Winter (December–February) is a difficult time to visit Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve. Daily highs average 34–37°F and lows 28–31°F. Expect about 6.3 in of rain a month and 42.5 in of snow, with up to 0 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 0% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards. Closures listed by the NPS: Glacier Bay Visitor Center Desk; Visitor Information Station (VIS); Xunaa Shuká Hít (Huna Tribal House).
For what to do in each season, see our guides to trip planning, fees and hours, trails, camping and things to do, where the planning page also has our written advice on when to go. In-depth topic guides cover individual places and hikes.
Seasonal closures
Closures listed in the NPS operating hours, shown as month and day. Exact dates change every year with snow and staffing.
- Glacier Bay Visitor Center Desk: closed about Sep 1 – May 26
- Visitor Information Station (VIS): closed about Oct 1 – May 1
- Xunaa Shuká Hít (Huna Tribal House): closed about Sep 1 – Jun 2
What the National Park Service says about the weather
Summer temperatures average 50° to 60° F (10° to 15° C). Rain is the norm in lush southeast Alaska. It is best to be prepared to enjoy the park in any kind of weather, especially rain. Suggested clothing includes waterproof boots, rain gear, a hat, gloves, wool or pile layers or a warm coat. Good rain gear is essential here. April, May and June are usually the driest months of the year. September and October tend to be the wettest.
Weather: modeled monthly averages for 2014-2023 (Open-Meteo Archive API), averaged over 4 locations. Modeled grid cells can read cooler than weather stations in deep canyons and deserts, and warmer or colder at high elevation. Visits: monthly recreation visits for 2021-2024, National Park Service.
