American military men who served on Adak during World War II recalled Adak's cold, foggy, windy weather; mud; Quonset huts; few women and no trees; and a volcano that from time to time would issue puffs of smoke. Fresh food was a rarity. Adak Naval Air Station continued to be a military base during the Cold War but was designated a Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) site in 1995 and closed in March 1997. Shortly thereafter, the town of Adak was incorporated at the site of the former base. Down from a peak population of 6,000, the island recorded a 2010 census population of 326 residents, all in the city of Adak, in the northern part of the island. In 1980, the Aleutian Islands National Wildlife Refuge was created and much of Adak Island lies within its boundaries. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game introduced approximately 23 caribou calves to the island in the late 1950's, in part to help prevent famine emergencies. Adak Island, with its now large caribou herd of nearly 3,000 animals, has become a popular hunting destination. Climate Adak has a subpolar oceanic climate (Koppen Cfc), characterized by persistently overcast skies, moderated temperatures, high winds, significant precipitation and frequent cyclonic storms. At Adak, overcast conditions average nearly 75 percent of the time during June and July, dropping back to approximately 50 percent of the time from October through February. Adak averages 173 days per year with fog. The foggiest months are July and August, when an average of 26 of the 31 days have fog. This number drops dramatically toward the winter season, where the months of December through March have, on average, fewer than ten days with fog during any one month. Gales occur in all months of the year at Adak, with the greatest chances being from December through March. A peak gust of occurred at Adak in March 1954. Adak's average temperatures range from , with a record high of in August 1956 and a record low of in January 1963 and February 1964. Average annual precipitation is about . October to January are the wettest months due to especially frequent and intense mid-latitude cyclonic storms, while May to July represent markedly drier months; thunderstorms, common in mid-latitude continental areas, are virtually unknown here. November is the average wettest month, while July is the average driest month. Average snowfall is , falling