Matanuska Glacier in December

A glacier day in the shortest light of the year

December is deep winter at the Matanuska. The ice has been frozen solid since around the middle of November, the park at Mile 102 is well into its winter season, and the glacier is covered in snow. It is also the month with the least daylight, and that single fact shapes every December trip more than the cold does.

What you get in return is a quiet glacier, blue ice at its most intense, the start of the best stretch for ice caves, and a low sun that stays near the horizon all day. What you give up is time. A December day on the ice is a short one, and the tours are built around that.

How much daylight you have

On 15 December the sun rises over Anchorage at 10:09 in the morning and sets at 3:40 in the afternoon, five and a half hours of sunlight. The shortest day, the winter solstice on 21 December, has 5 hours 27 minutes, with sunrise at 10:13 and sunset at 3:41. Twilight adds usable light at both ends: on the solstice it is light enough to see from about 9:11 in the morning until 4:43 in the afternoon, roughly seven and a half hours.

For a glacier trip, that means the drive up the Glenn Highway usually starts in the dark or finishes in it, and the tours aim to put you on the ice through the middle of the day. From 22 December the days start growing again, slowly at first.

The weather, with numbers

There are no official climate averages for the glacier itself, so the nearest reliable figures come from NOAA’s stations in Anchorage and Palmer. Anchorage averages a high of 25.0°F (−3.9°C) in December and a low of 13.8°F (−10.1°C). Palmer is the same by day and colder at night, at 11.4°F (−11.4°C). The glacier is higher up the valley and exposed to the wind, which makes it feel colder still.

December is Anchorage’s snowiest month, averaging 18.2 inches (46 cm). The valley also gets strong winter winds from time to time, the gusty north-easterly the locals call the Matanuska wind. Your tour operator will reschedule or refund if conditions make the trip unsafe.

Which tours run in December

NOVA’s summer walks are closed, as they are from mid-September to the end of May. December visits run through the day tours from Anchorage and the park’s own guided tours at the gate.

Anchorage: Full-Day Matanuska Glacier Hike and Tour is the one we would book for December, because it is the shortest of the full days at about eight hours. Alaska’s Finest Tours and Cruises checks you in at 509 W. 3rd Avenue in downtown Anchorage, drives you up the valley with one stop to buy food, issues ice cleats at the glacier and lists winter gear as included. It is rated 4.8 out of 5 from 57 reviews, and guests have reviewed it in November and March, so it runs through the winter.

From Anchorage: Matanuska Glacier Winter Tour with Lunch is the warmer day. Greatland Adventures includes lunch, snacks and water, and finishes with a hot meal at a local eatery, which in December light is a welcome end to the day. It picks up from select Anchorage hotels, runs eight hours, and is rated 5.0 out of 5 from 16 reviews. Its winter clothing package rents for $30.

From Anchorage: Matanuska Glacier Full-Day Tour from 907 Tours is the one with sleds. From late November to April it takes guests out to the blue ice in sleds towed behind a snow machine, driven by the operator, so there is little walking before you reach the ice. It is ten hours, all entry fees included, rated 4.8 out of 5 from 118 reviews. Our sled tours guide explains the ride.

If warm clothing is the worry, this Viator listing supplies it as part of the price:

If you have a car, the park’s own operator at Mile 102 runs guided tours daily at 10am, 11am, 1pm and 2pm, for about $150 per adult with the gate fee included. Its pages quote slightly different prices, so confirm before you drive. In winter it pulls visitors to the face of the glacier in a sleigh whenever conditions allow.

Ice caves in December

December is the start of the dependable season for caves. The meltwater channels that form in summer have drained and frozen, and the park’s operator says caves are really only accessible in winter. Nobody can guarantee one on a given day, though, because caves can collapse or become unsafe within days, and guides only take groups into ones they judge stable. Our ice caves guide covers the season and the safety rules.

Holiday weeks

The two weeks around Christmas and New Year are among the few busy spells of the winter. Groups are small on winter tours, so the seats around the holidays go early. Book those dates further ahead than you would for the rest of the month.

Driving yourself in December

The Glenn Highway is maintained daily, but in December you are driving on snow and ice for much of the trip, and in the dark for part of it. The stretch between Chickaloon and Sheep Mountain twists and climbs, with a switchback at Caribou Creek. Keep at least half a tank of fuel, fill up in Palmer, check Alaska’s 511 road conditions before leaving, and bring food, because Sheep Mountain Lodge’s restaurant closes for the winter. Our winter driving comparison sets the cost of driving against a tour with pickup.

What to pack for December

Full winter clothing: an insulated layer under a waterproof shell, snow pants, waterproof winter boots with a stiff sole, wool socks, warm gloves, a hat, a buff or scarf for the wind, and sunglasses for the low sun off the snow. Keep your phone in an inside pocket, as the cold drains batteries fast. Everything else is in our what to wear guide.

The northern lights

The long December nights sit in the middle of the aurora season, which Visit Anchorage gives as September to April. A day tour is back in Anchorage by late afternoon or early evening, and the city’s lights wash out most displays, so seeing them means a clear night away from town, either on a separate evening outing or an overnight stay up the valley.

For the months either side, see our November guide and our January guide. When you have picked a date, check December availability.