Best Time to Drive: Cordova, AK to Sitka, AK

The best overall window to drive from Cordova, AK to Sitka, AK is January. April is especially comfortable, and 9 AM to 12 PM is usually the easiest departure window. The main things to watch are heavy rain and ponding.

Best overall window

January

This is the clearest single-month sweet spot on the calendar.

Easiest departure pattern

9 AM to 12 PM

Waiting for a little daylight and warmer pavement usually makes the drive easier.

Most challenging stretch

July to December

November is one of the harder months for this route because the weather friction stacks up faster.

Why This Route Scores Differently

This route is long enough that weather comfort across the whole day matters more than just departure conditions.

The current best window is January, when the drive is more likely to feel steady end to end.

This score uses multiple NOAA sample points along the route instead of a single state-wide climate average.

Month-by-Month Driving Conditions

Jan

Difficult 22°F

Feb

Difficult 23°F

Mar

Difficult 25°F

Apr

Fair 30°F

May

Fair 36°F

Jun

Fair 40°F

Jul

Challenging 43°F

Aug

Challenging 43°F

Sep

Difficult 38°F

Oct

Difficult 32°F

Nov

Difficult 25°F

Dec

Difficult 23°F

Best Good/Fair Challenging

Average Conditions by Month

January

Avg high / low 25 / 18°F

Moisture 7.3 in rain

Rating Difficult

Best departure

7 AM to 10 AM

Storm-prone Winter mix risk

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain is common enough that extra buffer time makes sense.

February

Avg high / low 27 / 19°F

Moisture 6 in rain

Rating Difficult

Best departure

7 AM to 10 AM

Storm-prone Winter mix risk

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain is common enough that extra buffer time makes sense.

March

Avg high / low 29 / 20°F

Moisture 5.2 in rain

Rating Difficult

Best departure

7 AM to 10 AM

Storm-prone Winter mix risk

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain is common enough that extra buffer time makes sense.

April

Avg high / low 35 / 25°F

Moisture 4.3 in rain

Rating Fair

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Wet stretches Winter mix risk

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Weather is mixed enough that departure timing still matters.

May

Avg high / low 41 / 31°F

Moisture 4 in rain

Rating Fair

Best departure

9 AM to 12 PM

Steady driving window

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Weather is mixed enough that departure timing still matters.

June

Avg high / low 45 / 35°F

Moisture 3.5 in rain

Rating Fair

Best departure

8 AM to 11 AM

Steady driving window

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Weather is mixed enough that departure timing still matters.

July

Avg high / low 47 / 39°F

Moisture 5.2 in rain

Rating Challenging

Best departure

7 AM to 10 AM

Storm-prone Holiday traffic

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain is common enough that extra buffer time makes sense.

August

Avg high / low 47 / 38°F

Moisture 8.9 in rain

Rating Challenging

Best departure

7 AM to 10 AM

Storm-prone

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain is common enough that extra buffer time makes sense.

September

Avg high / low 43 / 34°F

Moisture 13.1 in rain

Rating Difficult

Best departure

7 AM to 10 AM

Storm-prone

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain is common enough that extra buffer time makes sense.

October

Avg high / low 35 / 28°F

Moisture 11.6 in rain

Rating Difficult

Best departure

7 AM to 10 AM

Storm-prone Winter mix risk

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain is common enough that extra buffer time makes sense.

November

Avg high / low 29 / 22°F

Moisture 9 in rain

Rating Difficult

Best departure

7 AM to 10 AM

Storm-prone Winter mix risk Holiday traffic

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain is common enough that extra buffer time makes sense.

December

Avg high / low 26 / 19°F

Moisture 8.8 in rain

Rating Difficult

Best departure

7 AM to 10 AM

Storm-prone Winter mix risk Holiday traffic

Temperatures are workable, but not as easy as the best shoulder-season windows.

Rain is common enough that extra buffer time makes sense.

Seasonal Hazards on This Route

Heavy rain and ponding

Jan - Dec

Short intense downpours can make a same-day drive feel longer than the raw route time suggests.

Winter mix risk

Jan - Dec

Even light snow or freezing precipitation can matter more than usual when this route turns into a same-day commitment.

Best Departure Time by Season

Spring

9 AM to 12 PM

Waiting for a little daylight and warmer pavement usually makes the drive easier.

Summer

7 AM to 10 AM

A morning departure gives you more room to adjust if rain slows the drive down.

Fall

7 AM to 10 AM

A morning departure gives you more room to adjust if rain slows the drive down.

Winter

7 AM to 10 AM

A morning departure gives you more room to adjust if rain slows the drive down.

How This Score Was Built

Source

Route-sampled NOAA climate normals

High confidence. Built from 4 NOAA-backed route checkpoints rather than a single statewide estimate.

Origin zone

Alaska

Destination zone

Alaska

Route sample points

Late route

Late route checkpoint

AK Mt. Eyak (0.6 mi away)

Late route

Late route checkpoint

AK statewide fallback (0 mi away)

Late route

Late route checkpoint

AK SITKA AP 70371 (3.6 mi away)

Destination

Sitka, AK

AK SITKA 1 NE (0.3 mi away)

Ready to plan? See the full trip plan from Cordova, AK to Sitka, AK with stops, fuel costs, and directions.