Bethel, Alaska climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Bethel's normal year runs from 1°F January nights to 64°F July afternoons, with 19.7 inches of precipitation and 64 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of −0.3°C, January lows of −17°C, July highs of 18°C, 500 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationBethel Airport
- Station IDUSW00026615
- Location60.78°N 161.83°W
- Elevation102 ft (31 m)
- Population6,335
On October 23, the normal high in Bethel is 34°F and the normal low 23°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 43%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Bethel.
- Jan 13° 1°
- Feb 20° 7°
- Mar 22° 7°
- Apr 37° 21°
- May 52° 34°
- Jun 62° 45°
- Jul 64° 49°
- Aug 61° 47°
- Sep 53° 39°
- Oct 38° 26°
- Nov 24° 13°
- Dec 16° 4°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Bethel each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 64°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 1°F. The most precipitation falls in August (3.36 in), the least in March (0.74 in).
Each month has its own page with the day-by-day normals, the month's records and its recent years:
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13°F | 1°F | 6.9°F | 0.77 | 9.4 | 9 | <1 | 30 | 6 h 30 min |
| February | 20°F | 7°F | 13.3°F | 0.88 | 8.1 | 10 | <1 | 27 | 9 h |
| March | 22°F | 7°F | 14.5°F | 0.74 | 8.8 | 9 | <1 | 30 | 11 h 40 min |
| April | 37°F | 21°F | 29.0°F | 0.79 | 6.0 | 10 | <1 | 27 | 14 h 30 min |
| May | 52°F | 34°F | 43.0°F | 1.21 | 1.9 | 12 | <1 | 13 | 17 h 20 min |
| June | 62°F | 45°F | 53.3°F | 1.77 | 0.0 | 13 | <1 | <1 | 19 h 10 min |
| July | 64°F | 49°F | 56.3°F | 2.57 | 0.0 | 16 | <1 | <1 | 18 h 20 min |
| August | 61°F | 47°F | 53.9°F | 3.36 | 0.0 | 18 | <1 | <1 | 15 h 50 min |
| September | 53°F | 39°F | 46.1°F | 2.89 | 0.5 | 17 | <1 | 5 | 13 h |
| October | 38°F | 26°F | 32.2°F | 1.84 | 3.9 | 13 | <1 | 23 | 10 h 10 min |
| November | 24°F | 13°F | 18.5°F | 1.80 | 13.2 | 14 | <1 | 28 | 7 h 30 min |
| December | 16°F | 4°F | 10.0°F | 1.06 | 12.2 | 11 | <1 | 30 | 5 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 38°F | 24°F | 31.4°F | 19.68 | 64.0 | 151 | <1 | 214 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −11°C | −17°C | −13.9°C | 20 mm | 24 cm |
| February | −7°C | −14°C | −10.4°C | 22 mm | 21 cm |
| March | −6°C | −14°C | −9.7°C | 19 mm | 22 cm |
| April | 3°C | −6°C | −1.7°C | 20 mm | 15 cm |
| May | 11°C | 1°C | 6.1°C | 31 mm | 5 cm |
| June | 17°C | 7°C | 11.8°C | 45 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 18°C | 9°C | 13.5°C | 65 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 16°C | 8°C | 12.2°C | 85 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 12°C | 4°C | 7.8°C | 73 mm | 1 cm |
| October | 3°C | −3°C | 0.1°C | 47 mm | 10 cm |
| November | −4°C | −11°C | −7.5°C | 46 mm | 34 cm |
| December | −9°C | −16°C | −12.2°C | 27 mm | 31 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00026615; 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.
When is the best weather to visit Bethel?
No month's normal high reaches 65°F in Bethel: the warmest is July at 64°F.
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 USW00026615.
When is the last frost in Bethel?
In Bethel, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 21 in half of years and after June 2 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 22 in half of years and before September 7 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 211 year in 10 after June 2; 9 in 10 after May 8
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 221 year in 10 before September 7; 9 in 10 before October 4
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 122 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 143 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 11 in half of springs and before October 1 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Bethel in zone 4a in ZIP code 99559. By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, Bethel's NOAA station is in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical year reaches −30°F (30 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 USW00026615; 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 in Bethel?
In a normal year in Bethel, a 90°F day is rare, 214 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 151 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
- 214a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 131high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 151a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 21a normal year
The highest temperature in Bethel's official record (kept by the National Weather Service since 1923) is 90°F, on June 17, 1926; the lowest is −52°F, on January 25, 1947.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1951, with 40.76 in; the snowiest season is 1951–52, with 177.5 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00026615; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), NWS threaded record BETthr. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is Bethel, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 48°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 50°F; the driest air comes in January (3°F). January is the windiest month (13.9 mph on average), and January has the most clear or nearly clear hours (42%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3°F | 81% | 80% | 13.9 mph | 42% | 35% |
| February | 11°F | 81% | 77% | 13.4 mph | 36% | 43% |
| March | 15°F | 80% | 73% | 11.9 mph | 37% | 39% |
| April | 29°F | 75% | 60% | 10.8 mph | 28% | 40% |
| May | 39°F | 68% | 50% | 10.2 mph | 20% | 36% |
| June | 47°F | 76% | 62% | 9.3 mph | 14% | 53% |
| July | 50°F | 83% | 70% | 9.9 mph | 7% | 70% |
| August | 46°F | 84% | 69% | 10.2 mph | 15% | 64% |
| September | 35°F | 84% | 70% | 10.7 mph | 26% | 48% |
| October | 22°F | 86% | 81% | 11.5 mph | 24% | 51% |
| November | 10°F | 85% | 83% | 12.3 mph | 33% | 44% |
| December | 5°F | 83% | 82% | 12.9 mph | 37% | 39% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00026615. 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 Bethel?
Over a year 64% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Bethel, 2.5 kWh per square metre a day. March is the sunniest month (79%) and August the cloudiest (57%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 70% | 0.4 |
| February | 65% | 1.1 |
| March | 79% | 2.9 |
| April | 74% | 4.2 |
| May | 67% | 4.9 |
| June | 63% | 5.1 |
| July | 58% | 4.3 |
| August | 57% | 3.4 |
| September | 59% | 2.3 |
| October | 59% | 1.2 |
| November | 58% | 0.5 |
| December | 64% | 0.2 |
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 much heating and cooling does Bethel need?
A normal year in Bethel brings 12,228 heating degree days, 2.3 times the median U.S. place (5,373), and 6 cooling degree days, 99% fewer than the median (908). Eleven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 501 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,799 | 0 |
| February | 1,448 | 0 |
| March | 1,565 | 0 |
| April | 1,079 | 0 |
| May | 681 | 0 |
| June | 353 | 2 |
| July | 273 | 3 |
| August | 345 | 1 |
| September | 569 | 0 |
| October | 1,018 | 0 |
| November | 1,393 | 0 |
| December | 1,705 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 12,228 | 6 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00026615. 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.
Has Bethel been warmer than normal lately?
2024 averaged 31.8°F, 0.4°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 31.4°F. 2 of the 4 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 30.1°F | −1.3°F | – | – |
| 2022 | 32.7°F | +1.3°F | 21.43 | – |
| 2023 | 30.4°F | −0.9°F | 19.93 | – |
| 2024 | 31.8°F | +0.4°F | 20.81 | – |
Over 95 complete years from 1924 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 3.7°F per century (+0.21°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00026615; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Bethel's climate compare?
Bethel is warmer than 37 of the other 84 places with their own NOAA record in Alaska, and wetter than 36. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 31.4°F is warmer than 1%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Bethel is Dfc: continental, no dry season, 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 Bethel share this climate record?
12 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their 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.
- Kwethluk, AK780 people · 13 mi E
- Kasigluk, AK692 people · 24 mi W
- Akiachak, AK629 people · 17 mi NE
- Tuntutuliak, AK616 people · 39 mi SW
- Nunapitchuk, AK578 people · 22 mi W
- Napaskiak, AK491 people · 6 mi SE
- Akiak, AK447 people · 22 mi NE
- Eek, AK388 people · 40 mi S
- Napakiak, AK345 people · 8 mi SW
- Tuluksak, AK324 people · 37 mi NE
- Oscarville, AK56 people · 4 mi SE
- Atmautluak, AK38 people · 16 mi W
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 Bethel's climate
What is the coldest month in Bethel?
January, with a normal high of 13°F and a normal low of 1°F. The warmest is July (64°F by day, 49°F at night).
Does it snow in Bethel?
Yes: 64 inches in a normal year, falling on 67 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in November (13.2 inches).
What is the rainiest month in Bethel?
August, with 3.36 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is March with 0.74 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Bethel in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Bethel in zone 4a in ZIP code 99559. By the same method at Bethel's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches −30°F (30 years, 1991-2020): zone 4a.
How late can frost come in Bethel?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 21; in one year in ten it comes after June 2. Waiting until June 2 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Bethel in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- Alaska climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- King Salmon, AK232 miles from this station, 36.5°F a year
- Iliamna, AK247 miles from this station, 37.7°F a year
- McGrath, AK252 miles from this station, 28.9°F a year
- Port Alsworth, AK258 miles from this station, 34.8°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made