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Reykjavík vs Anchorage
Comparing Reykjavík change · Anchorage change
Reykjavík is the warmer of the two — about 3°F on the annual average; Reykjavík is the wetter, with 36 in 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 3°F on the annual average.
Precipitation
Reykjavík is the wetter — about 36 in 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 (°F) Varies through the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 38 | 37 | 38 | 44 | 49 | 54 | 57 | 56 | 52 | 45 | 40 | 38 |
| Anchorage | 23 | 27 | 33 | 45 | 56 | 63 | 66 | 64 | 56 | 42 | 29 | 25 |
| Difference | -15 | -10 | -5 | +1 | +8 | +9 | +9 | +8 | +4 | -3 | -11 | -13 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 38 | 37 | 38 | 44 | 49 | 54 |
| Anchorage | 23 | 27 | 33 | 45 | 56 | 63 |
| Difference | -15 | -10 | -5 | +1 | +8 | +9 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 57 | 56 | 52 | 45 | 40 | 38 |
| Anchorage | 66 | 64 | 56 | 42 | 29 | 25 |
| Difference | +9 | +8 | +4 | -3 | -11 | -13 |
Avg low (°F) Varies through the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 29 | 28 | 29 | 34 | 39 | 44 | 47 | 47 | 43 | 37 | 32 | 31 |
| Anchorage | 11 | 15 | 19 | 30 | 40 | 48 | 53 | 51 | 43 | 31 | 18 | 14 |
| Difference | -18 | -13 | -10 | -4 | +1 | +5 | +5 | +4 | -1 | -6 | -14 | -17 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 29 | 28 | 29 | 34 | 39 | 44 |
| Anchorage | 11 | 15 | 19 | 30 | 40 | 48 |
| Difference | -18 | -13 | -10 | -4 | +1 | +5 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 47 | 47 | 43 | 37 | 32 | 31 |
| Anchorage | 53 | 51 | 43 | 31 | 18 | 14 |
| Difference | +5 | +4 | -1 | -6 | -14 | -17 |
Precipitation (in) Reykjavík runs higher most of the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 5.2 | 5 | 4.3 | 3 | 3.7 | 2 | 3.8 | 5.3 | 5 | 4.5 | 5.9 | 4.9 |
| Anchorage | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| Difference | -4.5 | -4.1 | -3.6 | -2.5 | -3 | -1 | -1.9 | -2.4 | -1.9 | -2.7 | -4.7 | -3.7 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 5.2 | 5 | 4.3 | 3 | 3.7 | 2 |
| Anchorage | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1 |
| Difference | -4.5 | -4.1 | -3.6 | -2.5 | -3 | -1 |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 3.8 | 5.3 | 5 | 4.5 | 5.9 | 4.9 |
| Anchorage | 1.8 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.2 |
| Difference | -1.9 | -2.4 | -1.9 | -2.7 | -4.7 | -3.7 |
Snowfall (in) Varies through the year
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 10.8 | 15.8 | 11.4 | 4.6 | 0.4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 | 8.2 | 11.9 |
| Anchorage | 12.4 | 13.4 | 11 | 4 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 | 5.6 | 12.6 | 18.2 |
| Difference | +1.6 | -2.4 | -0.4 | -0.6 | -0.1 | — | — | — | +0.4 | +5.2 | +4.4 | +6.3 |
| Jan – Jun | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 10.8 | 15.8 | 11.4 | 4.6 | 0.4 | 0 |
| Anchorage | 12.4 | 13.4 | 11 | 4 | 0.3 | 0 |
| Difference | +1.6 | -2.4 | -0.4 | -0.6 | -0.1 | — |
| Jul – Dec | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reykjavík | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.4 | 8.2 | 11.9 |
| Anchorage | 0 | 0 | 0.4 | 5.6 | 12.6 | 18.2 |
| Difference | — | — | +0.4 | +5.2 | +4.4 | +6.3 |
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