Weather is the biggest variable, it is completely out of control as a climber and will make a difference between safe and successful climbs (or the Alaska Mountains suffer from festivals). There is nothing you can do to change the weather, but with a good Denali weather forecast, you can maximize your chances of taking advantage of the good weather windows in the mountains and more importantly, get you out of the situation. Even the best forecasters, the weather forecasts in Alaska, especially on Denali are challenging. The massive and powerful weather system crosses the warm and humid systems of the Bering Sea or the Gulf of Alaska and crashes into the Alaska Mountains, creating dynamic and irresistible winds and snowfalls. Alaska is surrounded by the ocean and sits in Arctic latitudes, and the weather model's data is not like you are in the continental United States
Weather forecasts on Denali have improved significantly over the past decade, with some valuable resources there, including free national meteorological service forecasts and paid forecasts for mountain weather forecasters. When you are on the hill, you will follow the daily broadcast forecast announced by the Basecamp manager. You will need the FRS/GMRS radio for this trip, and they air on FRS Channel 1 every day at 8pm. Prediction, general announcements and a night's trivia question are the questions that everyone tweets here.
Current Denali Conditions
- National Park Service Denali Climbing Information Page. NP has collected some good information and will be updated regularly through information on the mountain during the season.
- Mountain Travel: Denali Trip Report. During the season, we report traveling on each team on the mountain every day. This is a great place to track sports on the mountain and the team's progress.
Denali Weather Forecast Resources
- National Weather Service Denali climbers' forecast. AK's NWS office in Fairbanks released forecasts for Denali climbers twice a day during the climbing season. This is a great resource and is the prediction they announce every night on the broadcast (FRS Channel 1) at 8pm
- Weather 4 adventure. This is a paid weather forecast service for professional mountain weather forecasters. Mountain Trip has been using Marc Dekeyser's predictions for over a decade, and our Himalaya shows include Mount EverestMark has been providing us with weather forecasts at Denali for the past five years. He is the premier weather forecaster for Arctic and Antarctic expeditions and for high-altitude mountaineering in the Himalayas and is trusted by many guidance services and private expeditions.
Denali veterans will always tell you that you need to stick your nose out of the tent and not make decisions based solely on the weather forecast. The most important thing a good weather forecast can do for you is to get you out of the way. If you know of a big storm and a 12-hour wind, don't move from 14,000 feet to a high camp. If the storm comes, it may not be a day to try to push the top. Denali is not the place to push the weather. This is a big mountain with many consequences, not the local ski area.
Before you leave Alaska, read the predictions and be familiar with the language they use and learn about what is going on on the hills. When you’re on the mountain, listen to daily NWS forecasts and consider subscribing to paid forecasts from professional mountain weather forecasters. Mountain travel pays for weather forecasts because we think it makes a difference and allows our guide to have the best information to make the best decision. It's a game of marginal gain, but this will make a difference throughout the climbing season.
