Anchorage, AK Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Explore NOAA NCEI's 1991–2020 climate normals → and a clearly labeled PlainClimate comfort calculation
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Anchorage's primary NOAA station, ANCHORAGE INTL AP.
The climate verdict for Anchorage
Dryness leads the climate profile for Anchorage, Alaska, with 16.4 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 38°F. At 34/100 (below average) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 2% of scores.
- 38°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 34/100
- comfort score, above 2% of station-mapped location scores
- 16.4"
- annual precipitation · 78" snow
- 149 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Anchorage: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USW00026451 · Anchorage, AK 38°F mean · 16.4" precip
TEMP-COLD · RANK-COOL · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-DRY · SWING-MID · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COLD 38°F
- RANK-COOL #206
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Big Sky
- PRCP-DRY 16.4"
- SWING-MID 43°F
- COMF-LOW 34/100
- LOAD-HEAT 9,979 HDD
- STN-1 USW00026451
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Big Sky, MT (+ 0.1 °F mean)
Instrument codes from this station's NOAA 1991–2020 normals, mean temperature, corpus warmth rank, photo-finish peer station, precipitation band, seasonal swing, comfort composite, degree-day load, and field book, not a livability rating.
Mean-temperature neighbourhood
Nationwide NOAA normal poles and nearest peers, not a reprint of every AK station list.
- Anchorage (this station) 38°F
- Cold Cabin Creek, CO 38°F
- Hot Twin Lakes Rsvr, CO 38°F
- Near Big Sky, MT 38°F
- Near Iliamna, AK 38°F
Anchorage sits in Alaska, the #1 coldest U.S. state at 33.5°F statewide annual average - see all 50 coldest states ranked by NOAA normals
Climate Living Index · Anchorage
Anchorage: 26/100 · grade F
Anchorage publishes all six Living Index dimensions from NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals · NOAA hourly normals.
PlainClimate-derived for Anchorage, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 34/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Summer moisture balance | 48.5°F mean dew point | 84/100 · B |
| Precipitation balance | 16.4 in · 18.6 from 35 in | 34/100 · F |
| Frost-free season | 149 days/year | 24/100 · F |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 189 calendar days | 20/100 · F |
| Snowfall burden | 77.9 inches/year | 7/100 · F |
| Annual temperature balance | 37.6°F · 29.9° from 67.5°F | 0/100 · F |
Anchorage · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Anchorage is a continental Köppen climate: Dsc
Coldest-month mean 16.9°F and warmest-month mean 59.6°F place this station in continental, dry-summer, cool summer climates (Dsc). Class Dsc is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: continental, specifically continental, dry-summer, cool summer.
- Köppen code
- Dsc
- Group
- Continental
- Warmest month
- 59.6°F
- Coldest month
- 16.9°F
Source: official public datasets monthly normals (1991–2020) at the city’s primary station. This is a station classification, not a mapped regional consensus.
National standing · heating-led station
Where Anchorage sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Anchorage's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- Cooler than 97%
- Among 6,861 stations, Anchorage sits in the cooler third of annual means.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 79%
- Anchorage's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- 47th percentile swing
- Typical seasonal amplitude versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Anchorage compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Anchorage's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
34 2nd percentile score exceeds 2% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). This entry sits in this band.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Above this entry.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Above this entry.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). Above this entry.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Anchorage's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 103 complete annual observations from 1917 to 2025, ANCHORAGE INTL AP warmed at a fitted rate of 0.29°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Anchorage primary station fitted change +0.29 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23°F (-5°C) | 11°F (-12°C) | 17°F (-8°C) | 0.8" | 12.4" | 30.3 | 0.0 |
| February | 27°F (-3°C) | 15°F (-9°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 0.9" | 13.4" | 27.2 | 0.0 |
| March | 33°F (1°C) | 19°F (-7°C) | 26°F (-3°C) | 0.7" | 11.0" | 29.4 | 0.0 |
| April | 45°F (7°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 0.4" | 4.0" | 18.8 | 0.0 |
| May | 56°F (13°C) | 40°F (4°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 0.7" | 0.3" | 2.7 | 0.0 |
| June | 63°F (17°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 1.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| July | 66°F (19°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 60°F (15°C) | 1.8" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| August | 64°F (18°C) | 51°F (11°C) | 58°F (14°C) | 2.9" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| September | 56°F (13°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 49°F (10°C) | 3.1" | 0.4" | 2.5 | 0.0 |
| October | 42°F (6°C) | 31°F (-1°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 1.8" | 5.6" | 17.6 | 0.0 |
| November | 29°F (-2°C) | 18°F (-8°C) | 24°F (-5°C) | 1.2" | 12.6" | 27.2 | 0.0 |
| December | 25°F (-4°C) | 14°F (-10°C) | 19°F (-7°C) | 1.2" | 18.2" | 30.6 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Summer here tops out rather than builds: the warmest normal high is 66°F around July 16, short of 90°F on every date, while 189 dates carry a normal low at or below freezing, the coldest 10°F near January 9.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into April 19, then returns to freezing around October 14, covering 189 dates in all.
Derived from the normal daily minimum. This is a different measure from the 50%-probability frost dates shown elsewhere on this page, which come from NOAA’s frost product.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is September 4, when 50% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is April 8 at 16%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 115 wet dates a year.
The widest day
May 14 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 17°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Anchorage.
Where Anchorage Stands Nationally
Among the steadiest day-night climates ranked: even the widest normal daily swing holds to roughly 17°F.
Freezing is routine here by normals standards — the normal low reaches 32°F or colder on about 189 nights a year, more than most ranked stations.
Anchorage earns 2 nationally notable standings (outer quintiles) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations; only those extremes render.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 12.4"
8.1 days with precipitation
Snow: 13.4"
7.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 11.0"
6.0 days with precipitation
Snow: 4.0"
4.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.3"
6.5 days with precipitation
8.6 days with precipitation
11.7 days with precipitation
14.4 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.4"
14.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 5.6"
11.5 days with precipitation
Snow: 12.6"
9.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 18.2"
10.8 days with precipitation
Anchorage runs a summer-peaked wet season
35% of Anchorage's yearly precipitation falls in June, July and August alone, against the 25% an evenly spread year would give those three months. The wettest month is September at 3.1", on a 42.7°F seasonal spread. Warm-season convection and, across the Southwest, the North American monsoon produce this shape: rain arrives in short heavy bursts during the hottest part of the year rather than as long cool-season soaking.
- Wettest three months: September, August, July, taking 48% of the annual total between them.
- Driest month: April at 0.4".
- Winter share: 17% falls in December, January and February.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. A summer-peaked label means the June-August share reaches 35%; it describes timing across an average year, not any single season, and says nothing about how heavy an individual storm can be.
Anchorage is dry, and what does fall arrives gently
Only about 115 days a year record measurable precipitation here, 32% of the calendar, and they carry 16.4" between them. At roughly 0.14 inches on an average wet day, this is not the damp drizzle of a marine climate; it is an arid record in which precipitation is both uncommon and light when it appears.
The wettest month by count is September at about 15 wet days; the driest is April at about 5.
A low per-event average in a dry record is a statement about typical days only. Arid regions can still take a large share of a year's total from a single convective storm, which a normal cannot show.
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year, not the extremes within it.
Winter brings real snow to Anchorage
Anchorage averages 77.9 inches of snowfall a year, with December the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 48 days that record measurable snow. That is depth accumulating on the ground, which is why it can exceed the annual precipitation figure: precipitation counts the liquid the snow melts down to, and fresh snow is mostly air.
- Annual snowfall: 77.9 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 48 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 47% of the year's precipitation.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. The ten-to-one ratio is a convention, not a measurement: real ratios vary with temperature, so treat the share as an order of magnitude rather than an exact split.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 1
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 5
50% probability date
Growing Season
149 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
9,979
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
8
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Humidity & Wind
Monthly averages from hourly observations
| Month | Humidity | Wind (mph) | Clear Sky % | Overcast % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 75% | 6.2 | 12% | 46% |
| February | 70% | 6.3 | 20% | 40% |
| March | 65% | 6.5 | 15% | 41% |
| April | 60% | 7.7 | 8% | 36% |
| May | 61% | 8.5 | 5% | 35% |
| June | 69% | 7.2 | 2% | 39% |
| July | 74% | 6.7 | 1% | 46% |
| August | 75% | 6.5 | 8% | 45% |
| September | 74% | 6.5 | 12% | 48% |
| October | 75% | 6.2 | 16% | 47% |
| November | 77% | 6.4 | 11% | 50% |
| December | 78% | 5.7 | 10% | 47% |
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside AK closest to Anchorage on two NOAA annual-normal axes (mean temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual mean temperature (38°F here).
- Willow City, ND 38°F · 0.0°F off
- Big Falls, MN 38°F · 0.1°F off
- Big Sky, MT 38°F · 0.1°F off
- Blackduck, MN 38°F · 0.1°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (16.4" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Superior, MT 16.4" · 0.0" off
- Pleasant Grove, UT 16.4" · 0.0" off
- Winifred, MT 16.4" · 0.0" off
- Coalville, UT 16.4" · 0.0" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Anchorage
heating led · dry · mid swing
Anchorage's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 9,979 annual heating degree days against 8 for cooling. Its 42.7°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Only about 149 days are frost-free in a normal year. That short interval is consistent with the cold-season signal, but the measure does not predict the exact first or last freeze in any one year.
-
1. Anchorage coldest normal
January
Averaging 17°F (-8°C), this month sits below freezing for the month as a whole, not merely overnight.
-
2. Anchorage typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Anchorage snow peak
December
Anchorage averages 77.9 inches of snow a year, with December the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Anchorage's climate
How much snow does Anchorage get? ▼
How cold does Anchorage get in winter? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Anchorage? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Anchorage's primary station: ANCHORAGE INTL AP (USW00026451). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The 2024 Census Gazetteer identifies an exact statistical-place match (GEOID 0203000), not an incorporated municipality. Match rule for Anchorage: exact normalized name + state only, no fuzzy expansion, so nearby differently spelled facilities stay unmatched.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Anchorage comes from its primary NOAA station record. No figure on this page is typed in by an editor - each value is rendered from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 1991–2020 normals.