We have tickets for AK Aug 22nd. We are not able to change the day we go and we only have one day there. The forecast is now showing a 99% chance of rain with thunderstorms and 17.9 mm of rain! Seems as though we may be a soggy mess all day.
We have ponchos and will pack extra socks and shoes, but how problematic will this amount of rain really be? I have never been to AK so I’m not familiar with the park. Will the safari still go as planned? Does anything close?
If there is lightning and storms many of the attractions, especially the ones that are outdoors with no cover, will not be operating.
Nooooo! I guess I just have to cross my fingers the forecast improves…
August 22nd is a full week away and I would take any forecast with a very large grain of salt
I would say pretty much ONLY the outdoor things would be impacted. Indoor shows and attractions will still operate in thunder and lightening.
If it’s only rain with no thunder and lightening everything will pretty much continue.
100% agree with this. Prepare for rain but don’t count on it until it’s still in the forecast that morning.
I agree with the others, that this it is way too early to rely on that forecast. Which one shows that?
I can see a 10-day forecast on the Weather Channel site, and they show only a 58% chance of rain, calling it “Mixed clouds and sun with scattered thunderstorms.” That sounds like a much more typical summer day in Florida.
Thinking about it Everest, Triceratops Spin and Kali are probably the only rides affected and maybe the bird show. Would any weather stop the Safari? Even lightning really shouldn’t really be a guest risk there.
Everest might be annoying in the rain but for Kali, you’re getting wet, so it’s a don’t care. It’s just lightning to worry about.
Typically our attitude is embrace the rain - it will likely clear out the park. If you can plan for the worst of it, grab a meal, hit Avatar or the Lion King show and stay a little drier then.
I don’t know about lightning, but rainy days are the BEST days on Kilimanjaro safari - all of the animals are a lot more active when it’s raining!
I needed a visual, so I found this webpage of rates of rain per hour
https://www.weather.gov/lox/rainrate
For us, rain at the rate of .75mm/ hr is a poncho up and carry on kind of day. The forecast is going to change before then, so I wouldn’t worry about it yet. For summer weather, being prepared for rain is par for the course. Your going to have an amazing time regardless!