Big River Lakes, Alaska climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Big River Lakes's normal year runs from 13°F January nights to 69°F July afternoons, with 55.1 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 4.2°C, January lows of −11°C, July highs of 21°C, 1,400 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationBig River Lakes
- Station IDUSC00500788
- Location60.81°N 152.30°W
- Elevation60 ft (18 m)
On October 23, the normal high in Big River Lakes is 42°F and the normal low 31°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 42%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Big River Lakes.
- Jan 25° 13°
- Feb 31° 18°
- Mar 35° 20°
- Apr 46° 31°
- May 59° 39°
- Jun 67° 47°
- Jul 69° 51°
- Aug 67° 50°
- Sep 58° 44°
- Oct 46° 34°
- Nov 32° 22°
- Dec 27° 17°
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 Big River Lakes each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 69°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 13°F. The most precipitation falls in October (7.29 in), the least in April (2.68 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25°F | 13°F | 19.0°F | 4.24 | 11 | <1 | 29 | 6 h 30 min |
| February | 31°F | 18°F | 24.3°F | 4.63 | 12 | <1 | 25 | 9 h |
| March | 35°F | 20°F | 27.6°F | 3.06 | 10 | <1 | 29 | 11 h 40 min |
| April | 46°F | 31°F | 38.4°F | 2.68 | 10 | <1 | 18 | 14 h 30 min |
| May | 59°F | 39°F | 48.9°F | 3.05 | 10 | <1 | 6 | 17 h 20 min |
| June | 67°F | 47°F | 57.0°F | 2.83 | 10 | <1 | 1 | 19 h 10 min |
| July | 69°F | 51°F | 60.2°F | 4.22 | 12 | <1 | 1 | 18 h 20 min |
| August | 67°F | 50°F | 58.6°F | 5.41 | 12 | <1 | 1 | 15 h 50 min |
| September | 58°F | 44°F | 51.1°F | 7.27 | 12 | <1 | 3 | 13 h |
| October | 46°F | 34°F | 39.5°F | 7.29 | 13 | <1 | 16 | 10 h 10 min |
| November | 32°F | 22°F | 27.3°F | 5.28 | 13 | <1 | 26 | 7 h 30 min |
| December | 27°F | 17°F | 21.7°F | 5.17 | 13 | <1 | 29 | 5 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 47°F | 32°F | 39.5°F | 55.13 | 137 | <1 | 184 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −4°C | −11°C | −7.2°C | 108 mm |
| February | −1°C | −8°C | −4.3°C | 118 mm |
| March | 2°C | −7°C | −2.4°C | 78 mm |
| April | 8°C | −1°C | 3.6°C | 68 mm |
| May | 15°C | 4°C | 9.4°C | 77 mm |
| June | 19°C | 8°C | 13.9°C | 72 mm |
| July | 21°C | 11°C | 15.7°C | 107 mm |
| August | 20°C | 10°C | 14.8°C | 137 mm |
| September | 15°C | 7°C | 10.6°C | 185 mm |
| October | 8°C | 1°C | 4.2°C | 185 mm |
| November | 0°C | −5°C | −2.6°C | 134 mm |
| December | −3°C | −9°C | −5.7°C | 131 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station, and no record within 25 miles keeps one, so snow is left out here rather than estimated.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00500788; 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 Big River Lakes?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in June, July and August. Of those, June has the fewest days with rain (10).
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 USC00500788.
When is the last frost at Big River Lakes?
In Big River Lakes, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 7 in half of years and after May 25 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 7 in half of years and before September 20 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 71 year in 10 after May 25; 9 in 10 after April 21
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 71 year in 10 before September 20; 9 in 10 before October 22
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 151 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 176 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 23 in half of springs and before October 19 in half of autumns.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Alaska · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00500788. 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 Big River Lakes?
In a normal year in Big River Lakes, a 90°F day is rare, 184 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 137 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
- 184a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 80high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 137a normal year
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00500788.
How sunny is it at Big River Lakes?
Over a year 62% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Big River Lakes, 2.5 kWh per square metre a day. March is the sunniest month (69%) and October the cloudiest (52%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 56% | 0.3 |
| February | 55% | 0.9 |
| March | 69% | 2.5 |
| April | 64% | 3.8 |
| May | 63% | 4.8 |
| June | 65% | 5.4 |
| July | 63% | 4.8 |
| August | 62% | 3.8 |
| September | 59% | 2.4 |
| October | 52% | 1.1 |
| November | 53% | 0.4 |
| December | 54% | 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 many heating and cooling degree days does Big River Lakes record?
A normal year at Big River Lakes brings 9,317 heating degree days, 73% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 21 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 946 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,426 | 0 |
| February | 1,140 | 0 |
| March | 1,161 | 0 |
| April | 800 | 0 |
| May | 499 | 0 |
| June | 246 | 5 |
| July | 160 | 10 |
| August | 205 | 6 |
| September | 419 | 0 |
| October | 789 | 0 |
| November | 1,132 | 0 |
| December | 1,341 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 9,317 | 21 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00500788. 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.
How does Big River Lakes's climate compare?
Big River Lakes is warmer than 57 of the 85 places with their own NOAA record in Alaska, and wetter than 53. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 39.5°F is warmer than 5%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Big River Lakes is Dfb: continental, no dry season, warm 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.
Questions about Big River Lakes's climate
What is the coldest month at Big River Lakes?
January, with a normal high of 25°F and a normal low of 13°F. The warmest is July (69°F by day, 51°F at night).
What is the rainiest month at Big River Lakes?
October, with 7.29 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is April with 2.68 in.
How late can frost come at Big River Lakes?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 7; in one year in ten it comes after May 25. Waiting until May 25 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Alaska climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Kenai, AK39 miles from this station, 35.6°F a year
- Soldotna, AK48 miles from this station, 34.1°F a year
- Sterling, AK52 miles from this station, 35.7°F a year
- Kenai (29 mi ENE), AK63 miles from this station, 34.2°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made