Alaska is not nearly the cold wasteland you think it is. Its largest city, Anchorage, shares the same weather pattern that keeps Seattle, Vancouver, and Portlan

Alaska is not nearly the cold wasteland you think it is. Its largest city, Anchorage, shares the same weather pattern that keeps Seattle, Vancouver, and Portland warm and wet. Though by being 1000 miles further north, it is much colder than any of those cities. However, compared to some continental cities, it actually has milder weather. For example, Anchorage's average January low is higher than Minneapolis's, and its average July high is lower, so you need both less heat and less A/C to live in Anchorage than Minneapolis.