Big Delta, AK Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Temperature and precipitation from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →, plus PlainClimate's derived comfort score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Big Delta's primary NOAA station, BIG DELTA AP.
The climate verdict for Big Delta
Winter sets the terms in Big Delta, Alaska. A pronounced 61.7°F seasonal swing and heating demand above twice the cooling total frame an annual average of 30°F. At 40/100 (moderate) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 6% of scores.
- 30°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 40/100
- comfort score, above 6% of station-mapped location scores
- 10.3"
- annual precipitation
- 113 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Big Delta: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USW00026415 · Big Delta, AK 30°F mean · 10.3" precip
TEMP-COLD · RANK-COOL · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-ARID · SWING-WIDE · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COLD 30°F
- RANK-COOL #69
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Two Rivers
- PRCP-ARID 10.3"
- SWING-WIDE 62°F
- COMF-LOW 40/100
- LOAD-HEAT 12,783 HDD
- STN-1 USW00026415
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Two Rivers, AK ( -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.
- Hot Fort Knox Mine, AK 31°F
- Big Delta (this station) 30°F
- Cold Whitestone Farms, AK 30°F
- Near Two Rivers, AK 30°F
- Near Farewell Lake, AK 30°F
Big Delta 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 · Big Delta
Big Delta: 14/100 · grade F
Big Delta publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals · NOAA hourly normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Big Delta, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 40/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Summer moisture balance | 43.9°F mean dew point | 55/100 · C |
| Precipitation balance | 10.3 in · 24.7 from 35 in | 13/100 · F |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 215 calendar days | 7/100 · F |
| Frost-free season | 113 days/year | 4/100 · F |
| Annual temperature balance | 30.0°F · 37.5° from 67.5°F | 0/100 · F |
Big Delta · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Big Delta is a continental Köppen climate: Dwc
Coldest-month mean -1.0°F and warmest-month mean 60.7°F place this station in continental, dry-winter, cool summer climates (Dwc). Class Dwc is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: continental, specifically continental, dry-winter, cool summer.
- Köppen code
- Dwc
- Group
- Continental
- Warmest month
- 60.7°F
- Coldest month
- -1.0°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 Big Delta sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Big Delta's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- Cooler than 99%
- Among 6,861 stations, Big Delta sits in the cooler third of annual means.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 93%
- Big Delta's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Wider than 99%
- Warmest-to-coldest month gap for Big Delta is large versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Big Delta compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Big Delta's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
40 6th percentile score exceeds 6% 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%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). This entry sits in this band.
- 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
Big Delta's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 75 complete annual observations from 1943 to 2025, BIG DELTA AP warmed at a fitted rate of 0.36°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Big Delta primary station fitted change +0.36 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6°F (-14°C) | -8°F (-22°C) | -1°F (-18°C) | 0.2" | 30.9 | 0.0 |
| February | 16°F (-9°C) | -1°F (-18°C) | 7°F (-14°C) | 0.2" | 27.8 | 0.0 |
| March | 25°F (-4°C) | 4°F (-16°C) | 14°F (-10°C) | 0.2" | 30.3 | 0.0 |
| April | 44°F (7°C) | 24°F (-5°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 0.2" | 24.7 | 0.0 |
| May | 59°F (15°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 0.8" | 6.6 | 0.0 |
| June | 68°F (20°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 2.2" | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| July | 70°F (21°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 2.4" | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| August | 65°F (18°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 2.0" | 0.6 | 0.0 |
| September | 53°F (12°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 0.9" | 9.5 | 0.0 |
| October | 33°F (1°C) | 20°F (-7°C) | 27°F (-3°C) | 0.6" | 27.3 | 0.0 |
| November | 15°F (-9°C) | 1°F (-17°C) | 8°F (-13°C) | 0.4" | 29.9 | 0.0 |
| December | 9°F (-13°C) | -5°F (-20°C) | 2°F (-16°C) | 0.2" | 31.0 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Summer here tops out rather than builds: the warmest normal high is 71°F around June 30, short of 90°F on every date, while 215 dates carry a normal low at or below freezing, the coldest -9°F near January 9.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into April 28, then returns to freezing around September 27, covering 215 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 July 2, when 45% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is March 30 at 11%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 95 wet dates a year.
The widest day
March 23 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 22°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Big Delta.
Where Big Delta Stands Nationally
Winters bite deep and often: the normal nightly low dips to freezing or below on around 215 nights a year, placing this among the most frost-prone tenth of ranked stations.
Aridity defines the water calendar: about 10 inches in a normal year lands this among the driest tenth of ranked stations.
Big Delta earns 2 nationally notable standings (outer quintiles) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations; only those extremes render.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall
5.9 days with precipitation
5.1 days with precipitation
3.7 days with precipitation
3.7 days with precipitation
7.9 days with precipitation
12.9 days with precipitation
14.0 days with precipitation
12.8 days with precipitation
8.5 days with precipitation
7.8 days with precipitation
7.4 days with precipitation
6.3 days with precipitation
Big Delta runs a summer-peaked wet season
64% of Big Delta'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 July at 2.4", on a wide 61.7°F gap between its warmest and coldest month. 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: July, June, August, taking 64% of the annual total between them.
- Driest month: March at 0.2".
- Winter share: 7% 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.
Big Delta is dry, and what does fall arrives gently
Only about 96 days a year record measurable precipitation here, 26% of the calendar, and they carry 10.3" between them. At roughly 0.11 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 July at about 14 wet days; the driest is March at about 4.
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.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
September 7
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 17
50% probability date
Growing Season
113 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
12,783
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
34
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 | 73% | 11.8 | 17% | 34% |
| February | 66% | 10.0 | 19% | 35% |
| March | 56% | 9.2 | 21% | 34% |
| April | 48% | 8.5 | 8% | 33% |
| May | 49% | 8.0 | 4% | 34% |
| June | 59% | 6.7 | 2% | 38% |
| July | 64% | 7.1 | 1% | 45% |
| August | 66% | 7.3 | 2% | 44% |
| September | 69% | 8.5 | 3% | 50% |
| October | 78% | 10.0 | 5% | 52% |
| November | 75% | 11.8 | 14% | 40% |
| December | 76% | 12.2 | 18% | 36% |
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside AK closest to Big Delta 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 (30°F here).
- Cooke City, MT 34°F · 4.2°F off
- Crested Butte, CO 34°F · 4.2°F off
- Silver Gate, MT 34°F · 4.3°F off
- Stanley, ID 34°F · 4.4°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (10.3" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Columbus, NM 10.3" · 0.0" off
- Las Cruces, NM 10.3" · 0.0" off
- San Simon, AZ 10.3" · 0.0" off
- Milford, UT 10.2" · 0.0" off
Scarce-water calendar
Where Big Delta's limited precipitation lands
heating led · dry · high swing
Winter and seasonal range jointly define this record. Big Delta logs 12,783 heating degree days, more than twice its 34 cooling total, while the typical coldest-to-warmest-month gap reaches 61.7°F. The annual mean therefore compresses two materially different seasons.
Only about 113 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.
July and January mark the typical warm and cold ends of the calendar in this dry, high-range record. The gap is 61.7°F, so a single annual figure is especially lossy; the annual average is 30°f. Compare monthly temperature and precipitation together before drawing a seasonal conclusion about Big Delta.
Big Delta's cold-season load does not imply a wet climate. Annual precipitation is 10.3 inches, which places the station in PlainClimate's dry range. Snowfall is not added to the interpretation because its annual value is missing. The snowfall and rainfall fields should be read separately rather than inferred from temperature.
Big Delta wettest normal
July
July concentrates the scarce annual total (10.3 inches).
Big Delta driest normal
March
March is typically driest; arid stations are defined by when water is absent, not by a four-season grid.
Questions about Big Delta's climate
How dry is Big Delta? ▼
How cold does Big Delta get in winter? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Big Delta? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Big Delta's primary station: BIG DELTA AP (USW00026415). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The 2024 Census Gazetteer identifies the exact name-and-state match as a census-designated place (GEOID 0206850), not an incorporated municipality. Match rule for Big Delta: 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 Big Delta 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.