Denali (27 mi N), Alaska climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Denali (27 mi N)'s normal year runs from −5°F January nights to 64°F July afternoons, with 23.5 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of −1.8°C, January lows of −21°C, July highs of 18°C, 597 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationDenali (27 mi N)
- Station IDUSW00096408
- Location63.45°N 150.87°W
- Elevation2,225 ft (678 m)
On October 23, the normal high in Denali (27 mi N) is 28°F and the normal low 13°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Denali (27 mi N).
- Jan 14° -5°
- Feb 25° 5°
- Mar 22° 3°
- Apr 38° 20°
- May 54° 33°
- Jun 63° 44°
- Jul 64° 47°
- Aug 60° 43°
- Sep 50° 33°
- Oct 32° 18°
- Nov 20° 2°
- Dec 15° -6°
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 Denali (27 mi N) each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 64°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of −5°F. The most precipitation falls in July (5.10 in), the least in February (0.72 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14°F | −5°F | 4.3°F | 0.79 | – | <1 | 31 | 5 h 40 min |
| February | 25°F | 5°F | 14.7°F | 0.72 | – | <1 | 28 | 8 h 40 min |
| March | 22°F | 3°F | 12.6°F | 1.16 | – | <1 | 31 | 11 h 40 min |
| April | 38°F | 20°F | 29.3°F | 1.06 | – | <1 | 28 | 14 h 50 min |
| May | 54°F | 33°F | 43.2°F | 1.97 | – | <1 | 11 | 18 h |
| June | 63°F | 44°F | 53.3°F | 2.86 | – | <1 | <1 | 20 h 30 min |
| July | 64°F | 47°F | 55.6°F | 5.10 | – | <1 | <1 | 19 h 30 min |
| August | 60°F | 43°F | 51.5°F | 3.94 | – | <1 | 2 | 16 h 20 min |
| September | 50°F | 33°F | 41.6°F | 2.23 | – | <1 | 9 | 13 h 10 min |
| October | 32°F | 18°F | 24.8°F | 1.45 | – | <1 | 28 | 10 h |
| November | 20°F | 2°F | 10.7°F | 1.04 | – | <1 | 30 | 6 h 50 min |
| December | 15°F | −6°F | 4.6°F | 1.18 | – | <1 | 31 | 4 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 38°F | 20°F | 28.8°F | 23.50 | – | <1 | 230 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −10°C | −21°C | −15.4°C | 20 mm |
| February | −4°C | −15°C | −9.6°C | 18 mm |
| March | −6°C | −16°C | −10.8°C | 29 mm |
| April | 4°C | −7°C | −1.5°C | 27 mm |
| May | 12°C | 0°C | 6.2°C | 50 mm |
| June | 17°C | 7°C | 11.8°C | 73 mm |
| July | 18°C | 8°C | 13.1°C | 130 mm |
| August | 16°C | 6°C | 10.8°C | 100 mm |
| September | 10°C | 1°C | 5.3°C | 57 mm |
| October | 0°C | −8°C | −4.0°C | 37 mm |
| November | −7°C | −17°C | −11.8°C | 26 mm |
| December | −10°C | −21°C | −15.2°C | 30 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 USW00096408; 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 Denali (27 mi N)?
No month's normal high reaches 65°F in Denali (27 mi N): 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 USW00096408.
When is the last frost at Denali (27 mi N)?
In Denali (27 mi N), the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 25 in half of years and after June 3 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 8 in half of years and before August 26 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 3; 9 in 10 after May 13
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 81 year in 10 before August 26; 9 in 10 before September 20
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 105 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 126 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 13 in half of springs and before September 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 USW00096408. 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 Denali (27 mi N)?
In a normal year in Denali (27 mi N), a 90°F day is rare and 230 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
- 230a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 137high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00096408.
How sunny is it at Denali (27 mi N)?
Over a year 67% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Denali (27 mi N), 2.5 kWh per square metre a day. March is the sunniest month (82%) and October the cloudiest (56%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 71% | 0.2 |
| February | 73% | 0.9 |
| March | 82% | 2.7 |
| April | 79% | 4.4 |
| May | 69% | 5.0 |
| June | 64% | 5.2 |
| July | 60% | 4.5 |
| August | 63% | 3.6 |
| September | 62% | 2.3 |
| October | 56% | 1.0 |
| November | 62% | 0.3 |
| December | 73% | 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 Denali (27 mi N) record?
A normal year at Denali (27 mi N) brings 13,188 heating degree days, 2.5 times the median U.S. place (5,373), and 5 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 395 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,875 | 0 |
| February | 1,419 | 0 |
| March | 1,613 | 0 |
| April | 1,076 | 0 |
| May | 677 | 0 |
| June | 357 | 1 |
| July | 298 | 3 |
| August | 423 | 0 |
| September | 706 | 0 |
| October | 1,245 | 0 |
| November | 1,626 | 0 |
| December | 1,872 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 13,188 | 5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00096408. 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 Denali (27 mi N) been warmer than normal?
2023 averaged 27.4°F, 1.4°F below the 1991-2020 normal of 28.8°F. 0 of the 3 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 26.4°F | −2.4°F | 27.49 |
| 2022 | 28.3°F | −0.5°F | 26.53 |
| 2023 | 27.4°F | −1.4°F | 23.57 |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00096408. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Denali (27 mi N)'s climate compare?
Denali (27 mi N) is warmer than 31 of the 85 places with their own NOAA record in Alaska, and wetter than 42. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 28.8°F is warmer than 1%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Denali (27 mi N) 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.
Questions about Denali (27 mi N)'s climate
What is the coldest month at Denali (27 mi N)?
January, with a normal high of 14°F and a normal low of −5°F. The warmest is July (64°F by day, 47°F at night).
What is the rainiest month at Denali (27 mi N)?
July, with 5.10 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 0.72 in.
How late can frost come at Denali (27 mi N)?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 25; in one year in ten it comes after June 3. Waiting until June 3 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Alaska climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Chulitna River, AK53 miles from this station, 30.0°F a year
- Minchumina, AK53 miles from this station, 28.0°F a year
- Cantwell, AK62 miles from this station, 27.2°F a year
- McKinley Park, AK62 miles from this station, 28.0°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made