Sitkinak Island facts for kids
Sitkinak Island is a special island in Alaska, United States. It's part of the Kodiak Archipelago, a group of islands. You can find Sitkinak Island south of Kodiak Island, in the western part of the Gulf of Alaska. Another island, Tugidak Island, is to its west.
Sitkinak and Tugidak are the two biggest parts of the Trinity Islands. These islands are protected as part of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, which helps keep nature safe. Sitkinak Island is quite large, covering about 235.5 square kilometers (90.9 square miles), but no people live there permanently.
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Animals of Sitkinak Island
Sitkinak Cattle: A Unique Herd
Sitkinak Island is home to a very special group of cattle. These cows live completely free-range, meaning they roam freely across the island. They are part of a ranch called Sitkinak Ranch, run by the Alaska Meat Company.
This unique herd has been living on the eastern and western parts of Sitkinak Island since 1937. They are known for being a rare type of cattle that thrives in this wild environment. In the late fall, some of these cattle are processed on the island to be sold as "Beyond Organic" beef. This means they are raised in a very natural way without chemicals.
Red Foxes on the Island
Sitkinak Island also has a healthy population of red foxes, known scientifically as Vulpes vulpes. These foxes are interesting because their fur can look very different from one fox to another. You might see many different colors and patterns in their coats!
Weather on Sitkinak Island
The weather on Sitkinak Island changes throughout the year. Here's a look at the typical temperatures and how much rain or snow the island gets:
| Climate data for Sitkinak Island, Alaska | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 48 (9) |
51 (11) |
55 (13) |
63 (17) |
66 (19) |
72 (22) |
76 (24) |
74 (23) |
68 (20) |
61 (16) |
49 (9) |
47 (8) |
76 (24) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 34.1 (1.2) |
34.1 (1.2) |
35.5 (1.9) |
39.7 (4.3) |
45.6 (7.6) |
51.8 (11.0) |
56.4 (13.6) |
57.8 (14.3) |
53.4 (11.9) |
44.8 (7.1) |
39.4 (4.1) |
35.4 (1.9) |
44.0 (6.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 29.3 (−1.5) |
29.2 (−1.6) |
31.1 (−0.5) |
35.5 (1.9) |
41.1 (5.1) |
47.3 (8.5) |
51.9 (11.1) |
53.3 (11.8) |
49.5 (9.7) |
40.7 (4.8) |
35.5 (1.9) |
31.6 (−0.2) |
39.7 (4.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 26.4 (−3.1) |
26.3 (−3.2) |
26.6 (−3.0) |
31.2 (−0.4) |
36.6 (2.6) |
42.8 (6.0) |
47.4 (8.6) |
48.8 (9.3) |
45.5 (7.5) |
36.5 (2.5) |
31.5 (−0.3) |
27.2 (−2.7) |
35.6 (2.0) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −2 (−19) |
−1 (−18) |
3 (−16) |
15 (−9) |
24 (−4) |
29 (−2) |
39 (4) |
36 (2) |
30 (−1) |
18 (−8) |
3 (−16) |
−5 (−21) |
−5 (−21) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.35 (85) |
2.75 (70) |
3.32 (84) |
3.08 (78) |
3.86 (98) |
3.02 (77) |
3.23 (82) |
5.07 (129) |
6.33 (161) |
5.49 (139) |
5.04 (128) |
5.72 (145) |
50.26 (1,276) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 5.1 (13) |
3.4 (8.6) |
1.9 (4.8) |
0.7 (1.8) |
0.6 (1.5) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.7 (1.8) |
3.6 (9.1) |
11.5 (29) |
27.5 (69.6) |
| Source: WRCC | |||||||||||||
