Central, Alaska climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Central's normal year runs from −24°F January nights to 73°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of −5.0°C, January lows of −31°C, July highs of 23°C.
- NOAA stationCentral #2
- Station IDUSC00501466
- Location65.57°N 144.77°W
- Elevation920 ft (280 m)
- Population (census place)93
On October 8, the normal high in Central is 37°F and the normal low 19°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Central.
- Jan -7° -24°
- Feb 3° -19°
- Mar 17° -14°
- Apr 42° 12°
- May 60° 34°
- Jun 72° 46°
- Jul 73° 49°
- Aug 66° 42°
- Sep 53° 30°
- Oct 29° 12°
- Nov 5° -10°
- Dec -1° -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 in Central each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 73°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of −24°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −7°F | −24°F | -15.7°F | – | <1 | 31 | 4 h 40 min |
| February | 3°F | −19°F | -7.8°F | – | <1 | 28 | 8 h 20 min |
| March | 17°F | −14°F | 1.1°F | – | <1 | 31 | 11 h 30 min |
| April | 42°F | 12°F | 26.7°F | – | <1 | 29 | 15 h 10 min |
| May | 60°F | 34°F | 47.0°F | – | <1 | 16 | 18 h 50 min |
| June | 72°F | 46°F | 59.3°F | – | <1 | 1 | 22 h 40 min |
| July | 73°F | 49°F | 61.0°F | – | <1 | <1 | 20 h 50 min |
| August | 66°F | 42°F | 54.2°F | – | <1 | 4 | 16 h 50 min |
| September | 53°F | 30°F | 41.5°F | – | <1 | 22 | 13 h 20 min |
| October | 29°F | 12°F | 20.4°F | – | <1 | 31 | 9 h 50 min |
| November | 5°F | −10°F | -2.8°F | – | <1 | 30 | 6 h 10 min |
| December | −1°F | −17°F | -9.1°F | – | <1 | 31 | 3 h 20 min |
| Year (annual) | 34°F | 12°F | 23.0°F | – | <1 | 254 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | −22°C | −31°C | −26.5°C |
| February | −16°C | −28°C | −22.1°C |
| March | −9°C | −26°C | −17.2°C |
| April | 5°C | −11°C | −2.9°C |
| May | 16°C | 1°C | 8.3°C |
| June | 22°C | 8°C | 15.2°C |
| July | 23°C | 9°C | 16.1°C |
| August | 19°C | 6°C | 12.3°C |
| September | 12°C | −1°C | 5.3°C |
| October | −2°C | −11°C | −6.4°C |
| November | −15°C | −24°C | −19.3°C |
| December | −19°C | −27°C | −22.8°C |
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 USC00501466; 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 Central?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in June, July and August.
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 USC00501466.
When is the last frost in Central?
In Central, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 25 in half of years and after June 6 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before August 26 in half of years and before August 12 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 251 year in 10 after June 6; 9 in 10 after May 12
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- August 261 year in 10 before August 12; 9 in 10 before September 7
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 92 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 113 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 14 in half of springs and before September 5 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 USC00501466. 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 Central?
In a normal year in Central, a 90°F day is rare and 254 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- 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
- 254a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 173high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00501466.
How sunny is Central?
Over a year 71% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Central, 2.5 kWh per square metre a day. March is the sunniest month (86%) and October the cloudiest (59%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 72% | 0.1 |
| February | 77% | 0.8 |
| March | 86% | 2.6 |
| April | 86% | 4.6 |
| May | 73% | 5.2 |
| June | 70% | 5.6 |
| July | 65% | 4.7 |
| August | 65% | 3.6 |
| September | 65% | 2.2 |
| October | 59% | 0.9 |
| November | 64% | 0.2 |
| December | 77% | 0.0 |
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 Central need?
A normal year in Central brings 15,318 heating degree days, 2.9 times the median U.S. place (5,373), and 46 cooling degree days, 95% fewer than the median (908). Ten months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 859 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 2,501 | 0 |
| February | 2,038 | 0 |
| March | 1,979 | 0 |
| April | 1,149 | 0 |
| May | 557 | 0 |
| June | 188 | 18 |
| July | 148 | 22 |
| August | 341 | 6 |
| September | 705 | 0 |
| October | 1,384 | 0 |
| November | 2,032 | 0 |
| December | 2,296 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 15,318 | 46 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00501466. 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 Central's climate compare?
Central is warmer than 6 of the other 84 places with their own NOAA record in Alaska. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 23.0°F is warmer than 0%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Which places near Central share this climate record?
Circle 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.
- Circle, AK48 people · 22 mi NE
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 Central's climate
What is the coldest month in Central?
January, with a normal high of −7°F and a normal low of −24°F. The warmest is July (73°F by day, 49°F at night).
How late can frost come in Central?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 25; in one year in ten it comes after June 6. Waiting until June 6 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Alaska climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Circle Hot Springs, AK6 miles from this station, 21.3°F a year
- Mile 42 Steese, AK73 miles from this station, 27.6°F a year
- Two Rivers, AK80 miles from this station, 29.9°F a year
- Fort Knox Mine, AK84 miles from this station, 30.5°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made