What You Can Wear in Alaska in January (lookbook)

Did you ever wonder what you can wear in Alaska in January? This January Lookbook gives answers. Check it out also for various cold weather outfit ideas.

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What temperatures occur on average in Interior Alaska in January?

When you want to visit Alaska in January to see the aurora or just for a business trip, avoid the mistake to pack for the long-term January mean temperature. As a matter of fact, temperatures can varry strongly from one day to the next; and they can be far from the January mean.

Tips What to pack for Alaska in January

Thus, pack for layering! Stick to matching neutrals and colors. Best make sure to select clothes from your closet that all match with each other.

No matter, whether the temperatures are around the freezing point or more than 40 below that threshold, you will need boots with a thick insole and double socks. The ground doesn’t warm up so fast to wear shoes that would be suitable at around 40F (5^oC)in midlatitudes. You are not eager to learn how to avoid cold feet at frigid temperatures by self-experience, do you?

And always double your socks, wool is best. Or wear socks with boot toppers. See the post at the link for a boot topper styling guide.

What to wear at 40 below in Alaska

When you are reading this blog for a while, you may already know why 40 below is perfect for a bikini look for many (young) Alaskan women. Well, let’s get serious. Since before Christmas, the mercury didn’t make it much above -20F (28.9^oC). So to speak, this January was bitter cold. Thus, most the time, you were greeted

At 40 below conditions, you must become a champion in how to layer work appropriate winter looks. You also worry about your credit card. We just got a $600 something bill for heating fuel in December; on the last day of January, the auto-delivery truck came again and pumped $900 something worth of heating fuel into the tank. The sound of the furnace is the new normal. 🙁

The outfit photos below show examples of how to layer to stay warm an comfortable. Wear long Johns or leggings under pants, trousers or jeans. When wearing a skirt, double the tights. Best wear the ticker, most opaque on top of the less thick one. Otherwise you will get a marbled or swirl like look due to the see-thru. Of course, you can create that pattern on purpose, if you like.

Outfit Ideas for -30F (-34.4^o) in Dry Weather

The dryness of winter and the electrostatics are a real problem for every fashionista. Well, who likes skirts or dresses clinched to the legs? Even worse, these little sparks with their ugly noise when you pull off your coat or clothes, even hurt. Have you ever wondered why clothes release sparks ?

Because of the low temperatures, I alternated between my long furry coat and my long floral down coat. To styled my outerwear to avoid winter boredom I accessorized with different gloves, scarves and hats. I don’t know about you, but my shoulders hurt when I have to wear a heavy long winter coat for quite a while.

What to wear at -20F (-28.9^o) in windy moist weather

We had some “windy” days; and Alaskans in the Interior fear wind more than cold below 40 conditions.

Eventhough temperatures were 20F higher than on those 40 below, calm days, the weather felt just miserable. First because of the wind, which I tried to block out by wearing leather. Second, on those days, humidity was high. Somehow moisture is creepy. It seems to get everywhere, no matter how much effort you put into avoiding cold gaps when dressing.

Looks at 0F (-18^oC)

To cover the entire range of potential January temperatures, I added some outfits for the respective ranges in this and the next sections. Note that after a long period of 40 below, Alaskans call conditions around 0F warm.

This business casual outfit is pretty simple. It makes use of the colors of the skirt. The greenery and turquoise are repeated in the scarf, and the boots. The belt serves to define the waist. I went for a statement belt and decided against a necklace. On a petite frame like mine, a statement belt plus necklace would be overwhelming. The distance between two focal points would be too short.

I wore the outfit at work and we went out for some bites at a bar after work.

What to wear at 10F (-12.2^oC)

The following look is an example of what to wear to a work meeting.

Don’t let the right outfit be a random thing. Wear the right look in every situation by looking up what to wear when in How to Dress for Success in Midlife. Buy the book now.

What to wear at 20F (-6.7^oC)

I like the fashion-forward color combination of brown and pink. It looks modern and is so much more flattering on mature skin than the pink plus black combination of the 80s. Do you recall that that the black plus pink combination was It at that time for us, but not for our moms’ generation?

For this date night outfit, I went for an eclectic urban style by combining sequins and shearling. After work, I switched my skirt for the sequin skirt that I had brought in my tote. My husband picked me up after work, which explains why I carry my work bag. Of course, heels were a must at work and for date night. There are 101 reasons to wear heels over 40, right?  😉

What do you wear on date night when temperatures are in the 20s (-1.7 to -6.7^oC)? When you like the look, pin it to your Pinterest board.

This condition sounds unusual and unexpected for those who don’t live in the Interior of Alaska. However, both the Tanana Valley, where Fairbanks is located, and the Yukon Flats Valley farther North above the Arctic Circle, experience Chinook (Föhn) weather situations ever now and then (for an explanation of Chinook and why Chinook warming permits non-seasonal dressing see the post at the link).

When a Chinook coincides with a so-called Pineapple Express, the air may rise to around the freezing point. We call this weather a heat-wave. Note that a Pineapple Express isn’t a train, but a subtropical maritime airmass that has its origin in the waters around the Hawaiian Islands. This air mass is relative warm and moist. When it moves north to Alaska and descends on the northern side of the Alaska Range into the Tanana Valley, its warmth and moisture enhance the Chinook effect.

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Photos: G. Kramm

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