Anchorage Lake Hood Airport, Alaska climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Anchorage Lake Hood Airport's normal year runs from 10°F January nights to 68°F July afternoons, with 15.0 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 3.3°C, January lows of −12°C, July highs of 20°C, 380 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationAnchorage Lake Hood Airport
- Station IDUSW00026491
- Location61.18°N 149.97°W
- Elevation90 ft (27 m)
On October 23, the normal high in Anchorage Lake Hood Airport is 39°F and the normal low 28°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 33%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Anchorage Lake Hood Airport.
- Jan 23° 10°
- Feb 27° 14°
- Mar 33° 17°
- Apr 46° 30°
- May 58° 41°
- Jun 66° 50°
- Jul 68° 54°
- Aug 65° 52°
- Sep 57° 43°
- Oct 42° 31°
- Nov 29° 18°
- Dec 25° 13°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like at Anchorage Lake Hood Airport each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 68°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 10°F. The most precipitation falls in September (3.06 in), the least in April (0.38 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23°F | 10°F | 16.5°F | 0.62 | 6 | <1 | 30 | 6 h 20 min |
| February | 27°F | 14°F | 20.7°F | 0.62 | 6 | <1 | 27 | 9 h |
| March | 33°F | 17°F | 25.3°F | 0.56 | 5 | <1 | 30 | 11 h 40 min |
| April | 46°F | 30°F | 37.8°F | 0.38 | 5 | <1 | 19 | 14 h 40 min |
| May | 58°F | 41°F | 49.4°F | 0.58 | 6 | <1 | 1 | 17 h 20 min |
| June | 66°F | 50°F | 57.5°F | 0.93 | 9 | <1 | <1 | 19 h 20 min |
| July | 68°F | 54°F | 60.9°F | 1.78 | 13 | <1 | <1 | 18 h 30 min |
| August | 65°F | 52°F | 58.5°F | 2.81 | 15 | <1 | <1 | 16 h |
| September | 57°F | 43°F | 50.0°F | 3.06 | 15 | <1 | 1 | 13 h |
| October | 42°F | 31°F | 36.9°F | 1.68 | 12 | <1 | 13 | 10 h 10 min |
| November | 29°F | 18°F | 23.5°F | 1.07 | 7 | <1 | 27 | 7 h 20 min |
| December | 25°F | 13°F | 19.0°F | 0.89 | 8 | <1 | 30 | 5 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 45°F | 31°F | 38.0°F | 14.98 | 107 | <1 | 178 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −5°C | −12°C | −8.6°C | 16 mm |
| February | −3°C | −10°C | −6.3°C | 16 mm |
| March | 1°C | −8°C | −3.7°C | 14 mm |
| April | 8°C | −1°C | 3.2°C | 10 mm |
| May | 14°C | 5°C | 9.7°C | 15 mm |
| June | 19°C | 10°C | 14.2°C | 24 mm |
| July | 20°C | 12°C | 16.1°C | 45 mm |
| August | 19°C | 11°C | 14.7°C | 71 mm |
| September | 14°C | 6°C | 10.0°C | 78 mm |
| October | 6°C | 0°C | 2.7°C | 43 mm |
| November | −2°C | −8°C | −4.7°C | 27 mm |
| December | −4°C | −11°C | −7.2°C | 23 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Anchorage Forecast Office (2 miles away), gets 77 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00026491; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
Which months are mildest at Anchorage Lake Hood Airport?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in June, July and August. Of those, June has the fewest days with rain (9).
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00026491.
When is the last frost at Anchorage Lake Hood Airport?
In Anchorage Lake Hood Airport, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 1 in half of years and after May 8 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 3 in half of years and before September 22 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- May 11 year in 10 after May 8; 9 in 10 after April 20
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 31 year in 10 before September 22; 9 in 10 before October 16
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 156 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 175 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 20 in half of springs and before October 14 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Anchorage Lake Hood Airport in zone 5b in ZIP code 99530, the nearest ZIP area. By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, the station is in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical year reaches −12°F (21 complete years).
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Alaska · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00026491; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; the station zone: ACIS daily lows, 1991-2020. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get at Anchorage Lake Hood Airport?
In a normal year in Anchorage Lake Hood Airport, a 90°F day is rare, 178 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 107 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 178a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 101high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 107a normal year
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1998) is 90°F, on July 4, 2019; the lowest is −25°F, on February 4, 1999.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 2023, with 20.46 in.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00026491; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USW00026491. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is it at Anchorage Lake Hood Airport, and how clear are the skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 48°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 51°F; the driest air comes in January (12°F). May is the windiest month (6.1 mph on average).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12°F | 75% | 71% | 4.5 mph | – | – |
| February | 13°F | 68% | 59% | 4.7 mph | – | – |
| March | 21°F | 65% | 52% | 4.7 mph | – | – |
| April | 30°F | 58% | 45% | 5.5 mph | – | – |
| May | 40°F | 59% | 48% | 6.1 mph | – | – |
| June | 48°F | 65% | 54% | 5.2 mph | – | – |
| July | 51°F | 71% | 61% | 4.8 mph | – | – |
| August | 46°F | 73% | 59% | 4.6 mph | – | – |
| September | 37°F | 74% | 61% | 5.1 mph | – | – |
| October | 23°F | 74% | 66% | 5.1 mph | – | – |
| November | 14°F | 77% | 73% | 4.7 mph | – | – |
| December | 13°F | 77% | – | 4.2 mph | – | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00026491. Monthly averages of all hours; afternoon humidity at 3 p.m. local standard time; sky as the share of hours NOAA's observations rate clear or few clouds (a dash where NOAA publishes no sky value).
How sunny is it at Anchorage Lake Hood Airport?
Over a year 64% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Anchorage Lake Hood Airport, 2.5 kWh per square metre a day. April is the sunniest month (70%) and October the cloudiest (55%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 57% | 0.3 |
| February | 59% | 0.9 |
| March | 68% | 2.4 |
| April | 70% | 4.0 |
| May | 66% | 5.0 |
| June | 65% | 5.3 |
| July | 63% | 4.8 |
| August | 63% | 3.8 |
| September | 61% | 2.4 |
| October | 55% | 1.1 |
| November | 55% | 0.4 |
| December | 56% | 0.1 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How many heating and cooling degree days does Anchorage Lake Hood Airport record?
A normal year at Anchorage Lake Hood Airport brings 9,841 heating degree days, 83% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 17 cooling degree days, 98% fewer than the median (908). Nine months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 943 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,505 | 0 |
| February | 1,242 | 0 |
| March | 1,231 | 0 |
| April | 815 | 0 |
| May | 482 | 0 |
| June | 229 | 4 |
| July | 137 | 10 |
| August | 206 | 3 |
| September | 450 | 0 |
| October | 871 | 0 |
| November | 1,246 | 0 |
| December | 1,428 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 9,841 | 17 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00026491. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
Have recent years at Anchorage Lake Hood Airport been warmer than normal?
2024 averaged 37.4°F, 0.6°F below the 1991-2020 normal of 38.0°F. 1 of the 4 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 35.1°F | −2.9°F | – |
| 2022 | 38.7°F | +0.7°F | – |
| 2023 | 37.0°F | −1.0°F | 20.46 |
| 2024 | 37.4°F | −0.6°F | – |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00026491. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Anchorage Lake Hood Airport's climate compare?
Anchorage Lake Hood Airport is warmer than 56 of the 85 places with their own NOAA record in Alaska, and wetter than 22. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 38.0°F is warmer than 3%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Anchorage Lake Hood Airport is Dsc: continental, dry-summer, cool summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Which places near Anchorage Lake Hood Airport share this climate record?
Point MacKenzie has no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of its own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Point MacKenzie, AK1,728 people · 12 mi N
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about Anchorage Lake Hood Airport's climate
What is the coldest month at Anchorage Lake Hood Airport?
January, with a normal high of 23°F and a normal low of 10°F. The warmest is July (68°F by day, 54°F at night).
Does it snow at Anchorage Lake Hood Airport?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for the station; the nearest record that keeps one, Anchorage Forecast Office (2 miles away), records 77 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month at Anchorage Lake Hood Airport?
September, with 3.06 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is April with 0.38 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Anchorage Lake Hood Airport in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Anchorage Lake Hood Airport in zone 5b in ZIP code 99530, the nearest ZIP area. By the same method at the station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches −12°F (21 years, 1991-2020): zone 5b.
How late can frost come at Anchorage Lake Hood Airport?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 1; in one year in ten it comes after May 8. Waiting until May 8 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Alaska climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Anchorage, AK2 miles from this station, 37.6°F a year
- Campbell Creek Science Center, AK6 miles from this station, 34.1°F a year
- Anchorage Rabbit Creek #2, AK9 miles from this station, 36.5°F a year
- Glen Alps, AK11 miles from this station, 34.5°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made