The west central region of Alaska encompasses the region of maritime influence from the Bering Strait southward to cover most of the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta. The coast is bordered by sea ice in the winter, and the coastal areas to a considerable distance inland are treeless and (at least in the delta area) dotted with small lakes. Although the mean annual temperatures are similar to inland sites at the same latitudes, the seasonal range of temperatures is much lower and the winds are much higher.
Nome and Kotzebue are located directly on the open shore, and Bethel is on a river delta. Nome can be considered typical of the more inland part of the region. Bethel, which is both the southernmost and farthest inland of the three stations, is on average the warmest of the three by several degrees, but this is not always the case.
Click to learn more about the observing stations in:
Bethel
Kotzebue
Nome