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Reykjavík vs Anchorage
Comparing Reykjavík change · Anchorage change
Reykjavík is the warmer of the two — about 2°C on the annual average; Reykjavík is the wetter, with 915 mm more rain a year, and Anchorage the sunnier.
How the seasons compare
The differences between Reykjavík and Anchorage, in everyday terms.
Summers
Anchorage has much hotter summers
Reykjavík: Cool
Anchorage: Mild
Winters
Reykjavík has much milder winters
Reykjavík: Cold
Anchorage: Very cold
Rain & snow
Reykjavík is much wetter
Reykjavík: Wet
Anchorage: Fairly dry
Sky
Anchorage is sunnier
Reykjavík: Often grey
Anchorage: Often cloudy
Month-by-month charts
Temperature
Reykjavík is the warmer of the two — about 2°C on the annual average.
Precipitation
Reykjavík is the wetter — about 915 mm more across the year.
Clear skies
Anchorage has the clearer skies — the higher line.
Exact monthly numbers
Tap a metric to open its full table. Desktop shows all twelve months; on a phone each metric splits into Jan–Jun and Jul–Dec.
Avg high (°C) Varies through the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 4 |
| Anchorage | -5 | -3 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 18 | 13 | 6 | -2 | -4 |
| Difference | -8 | -6 | -3 | +1 | +4 | +5 | +5 | +4 | +2 | -2 | -6 | -7 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 12 |
| Anchorage | -5 | -3 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 17 |
| Difference | -8 | -6 | -3 | +1 | +4 | +5 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 14 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 4 |
| Anchorage | 19 | 18 | 13 | 6 | -2 | -4 |
| Difference | +5 | +4 | +2 | -2 | -6 | -7 |
Avg low (°C) Varies through the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | -1 | -2 | -2 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | -1 |
| Anchorage | -12 | -9 | -7 | -1 | 4 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 6 | -1 | -8 | -10 |
| Difference | -10 | -7 | -6 | -2 | +1 | +3 | +3 | +2 | — | -3 | -8 | -9 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | -1 | -2 | -2 | 1 | 4 | 7 |
| Anchorage | -12 | -9 | -7 | -1 | 4 | 9 |
| Difference | -10 | -7 | -6 | -2 | +1 | +3 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 9 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | -1 |
| Anchorage | 12 | 11 | 6 | -1 | -8 | -10 |
| Difference | +3 | +2 | — | -3 | -8 | -9 |
Precipitation (mm) Reykjavík runs higher most of the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 133 | 127 | 109 | 75 | 93 | 50 | 95 | 135 | 128 | 114 | 149 | 123 |
| Anchorage | 19 | 22 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 26 | 46 | 74 | 79 | 46 | 30 | 29 |
| Difference | -114 | -105 | -91 | -65 | -76 | -24 | -49 | -60 | -49 | -68 | -119 | -94 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 133 | 127 | 109 | 75 | 93 | 50 |
| Anchorage | 19 | 22 | 18 | 11 | 17 | 26 |
| Difference | -114 | -105 | -91 | -65 | -76 | -24 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 95 | 135 | 128 | 114 | 149 | 123 |
| Anchorage | 46 | 74 | 79 | 46 | 30 | 29 |
| Difference | -49 | -60 | -49 | -68 | -119 | -94 |
Snowfall (cm) Varies through the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 28 | 40 | 29 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 30 |
| Anchorage | 31 | 34 | 28 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 32 | 46 |
| Difference | +4 | -6 | -1 | -1 | — | — | — | — | +1 | +13 | +11 | +16 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 28 | 40 | 29 | 12 | 1 | 0 |
| Anchorage | 31 | 34 | 28 | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Difference | +4 | -6 | -1 | -1 | — | — |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 21 | 30 |
| Anchorage | 0 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 32 | 46 |
| Difference | — | — | +1 | +13 | +11 | +16 |
Cloud cover (%) Reykjavík runs higher most of the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 85 | 82 | 82 | 79 | 76 | 79 | 81 | 79 | 79 | 78 | 82 | 84 |
| Anchorage | 62 | 64 | 55 | 62 | 69 | 70 | 74 | 71 | 70 | 67 | 64 | 69 |
| Difference | -22 | -19 | -26 | -17 | -8 | -10 | -8 | -8 | -9 | -11 | -18 | -16 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 85 | 82 | 82 | 79 | 76 | 79 |
| Anchorage | 62 | 64 | 55 | 62 | 69 | 70 |
| Difference | -22 | -19 | -26 | -17 | -8 | -10 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 81 | 79 | 79 | 78 | 82 | 84 |
| Anchorage | 74 | 71 | 70 | 67 | 64 | 69 |
| Difference | -8 | -8 | -9 | -11 | -18 | -16 |
Relative humidity (%) Varies through the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 88 | 87 | 86 | 84 | 83 | 83 | 85 | 86 | 86 | 88 | 88 | 88 |
| Anchorage | 92 | 91 | 89 | 83 | 78 | 78 | 81 | 82 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 93 |
| Difference | +5 | +4 | +2 | -2 | -5 | -5 | -4 | -4 | -3 | — | +4 | +6 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 88 | 87 | 86 | 84 | 83 | 83 |
| Anchorage | 92 | 91 | 89 | 83 | 78 | 78 |
| Difference | +5 | +4 | +2 | -2 | -5 | -5 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 85 | 86 | 86 | 88 | 88 | 88 |
| Anchorage | 81 | 82 | 84 | 88 | 92 | 93 |
| Difference | -4 | -4 | -3 | — | +4 | +6 |
How both climates are changing
Both cities are warming. Each city has its own warming trend; see its trends page for the year-by-year detail. Reykjavík trends → · Anchorage trends →
Methodology & sources
Reykjavík
Temperature & precipitation — 1991–2020 normals computed from 11 years of daily observations at Keflavik, a weather station, about 39 km from the city centre. The underlying daily records come from NOAA's global station network.
Cloud, humidity, wind & sunshine — modelled estimates from NASA POWER, NASA's satellite-and-reanalysis climatology. This is the standard global source for atmospheric variables, which are not measured at most weather stations.
Anchorage
Temperature & precipitation — the official 1991–2020 climate normals from NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals, measured at Anchorage Ted Stevens Intl AP (NOAA GHCN station USW00026451), about 9 km from the city centre.
Cloud, humidity, wind & sunshine — modelled estimates from NASA POWER, NASA's satellite-and-reanalysis climatology. This is the standard global source for atmospheric variables, which are not measured at most weather stations.
← change Reykjavík · change Anchorage → · Reykjavík page · Anchorage page