by Toban Black

Question: What is the climate of the northern tip of Alaska?
Ice cap climate? Tundra? I dont know. I need to know!! Its really important. My geography text book doesnt make it clear what it is. :[ if you do, youll be my hero.
PLZ ANSWERR. I REALLY NEED 2 KNOWWW

Answer:

Answer by thankyoumaskedman
Here is some climate data:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barrow,_Alaska#Climate

At Barrow the tundra meets the ocean. As you would expect, the winters get cold, well below zero. However its lowest temperatures do not get as low as parts of the Alaska interior further south. The ice cold seawater circulating beneath the ice helps to soften the effect of the high latitude. Breaks in the ice can bring temperatures up more, but differences in temperature produce wind, and Barrow can get dangerous wind chills. In summer, with over two months of continuous daylight, temperatures can get above freezing, but the cold water helps prevent the summer temperature from getting very warm.

With an annual rainfall of less than 5 inches, Barrow is technically a desert. It doesn’t look like it. The cold air temperatures retard thawing and evaporation. Moisture in the ground remains frozen all year, and the ponds and lakes on the surface, even when thawed do not drain very much into the ground the way water would in a warmer climate.

The sea ice tends to form in plates, and these crash into each other as they freeze. So that gives it combination of flatness and contour:

http://www.martingrumet.com/alaskatrip03jan07-06barrow1500.jpg

http://www.martingrumet.com/alaskatrip05jan07-07barrow1500.jpg

Tidal effects are slight in the arctic, and waves tend to be small, although wind can stir them up.

http://www.wunderground.com/wximage/viewsingleimage.html?mode=singleimage&handle=martingrumet&number=0&album_id=2&thumbstart=0&gallery=#slideanchor

Barrow has about two months in late fall/early winter in which the sun never rises. There is mid day twilight. In winter a full moon skims above the northern horizon in mid day.

The traditional Eskimo parka has a large fur ruff around the hood–larger than commercially produced parkas. This is not just for decoration. It traps warmer air in front of the face.