Gulkana, AK Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Average temperature and precipitation from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →, with a derived climate comfort score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Gulkana's primary NOAA station, GULKANA AP.
The climate verdict for Gulkana
Winter sets the terms in Gulkana, Alaska. A pronounced 61.3°F seasonal swing and heating demand above twice the cooling total frame an annual average of 28°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.
- 28°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 40/100
- comfort score, above 6% of station-mapped location scores
- 11.8"
- yearly precipitation total
- 75 days
- frost-free growing season
Gulkana: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USW00026425 · Gulkana, AK 28°F mean · 11.8" precip
TEMP-COLD · RANK-COOL · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-ARID · SWING-WIDE · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COLD 28°F
- RANK-COOL #69
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ College Obsy
- PRCP-ARID 11.8"
- SWING-WIDE 61°F
- COMF-LOW 40/100
- LOAD-HEAT 13,377 HDD
- STN-1 USW00026425
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: College Obsy, AK (+ 0.2 °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 Healy, AK 29°F
- Near College Obsy, AK 29°F
- Gulkana (this station) 28°F
- Cold Mckinley Park, AK 28°F
- Near Mt Washington, NH 28°F
Gulkana 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 · Gulkana
Gulkana: 11/100 · grade F
Gulkana 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 Gulkana, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 40/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Summer moisture balance | 42.7°F mean dew point | 47/100 · D |
| Precipitation balance | 11.8 in · 23.2 from 35 in | 18/100 · F |
| Annual temperature balance | 28.3°F · 39.2° from 67.5°F | 0/100 · F |
| Frost-free season | 75 days/year | 0/100 · F |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 234 calendar days | 0/100 · F |
Gulkana · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Gulkana is a continental Köppen climate: Dsc
Coldest-month mean -3.4°F and warmest-month mean 57.9°F place this station in continental, dry-summer, cool summer climates (Dsc). Class Dsc is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: continental, specifically continental, dry-summer, cool summer.
- Köppen code
- Dsc
- Group
- Continental
- Warmest month
- 57.9°F
- Coldest month
- -3.4°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 Gulkana sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Gulkana'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, Gulkana sits in the cooler third of annual means.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 90%
- Gulkana'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 Gulkana is large versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Gulkana compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Gulkana'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
Gulkana's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 74 complete annual observations from 1944 to 2024, GULKANA AP warmed at a fitted rate of 0.22°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Gulkana primary station fitted change +0.22 °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 | 5°F (-15°C) | -12°F (-24°C) | -3°F (-20°C) | 0.7" | 30.7 | 0.0 |
| February | 16°F (-9°C) | -5°F (-20°C) | 6°F (-15°C) | 0.7" | 27.8 | 0.0 |
| March | 28°F (-2°C) | 1°F (-17°C) | 15°F (-10°C) | 0.3" | 30.7 | 0.0 |
| April | 44°F (7°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 33°F (0°C) | 0.2" | 27.9 | 0.0 |
| May | 58°F (15°C) | 33°F (1°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 0.8" | 15.0 | 0.0 |
| June | 67°F (20°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 1.4" | 1.3 | 0.0 |
| July | 69°F (21°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 58°F (14°C) | 1.7" | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| August | 65°F (18°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 1.9" | 2.8 | 0.0 |
| September | 54°F (12°C) | 33°F (1°C) | 44°F (6°C) | 1.4" | 14.4 | 0.0 |
| October | 36°F (2°C) | 18°F (-8°C) | 27°F (-3°C) | 1.0" | 26.8 | 0.0 |
| November | 15°F (-9°C) | -1°F (-19°C) | 7°F (-14°C) | 0.8" | 29.5 | 0.0 |
| December | 8°F (-13°C) | -8°F (-22°C) | 0°F (-18°C) | 0.8" | 30.8 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Summer here tops out rather than builds: the warmest normal high is 70°F around July 3, short of 90°F on every date, while 234 dates carry a normal low at or below freezing, the coldest -13°F near January 9.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into May 10, then returns to freezing around September 20, covering 234 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 August 16, when 43% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is April 5 at 11%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 101 wet dates a year.
The widest day
March 14 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 27°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Gulkana.
Where Gulkana Stands Nationally
Winters bite deep and often: the normal nightly low dips to freezing or below on around 234 nights a year, placing this among the most frost-prone tenth of ranked stations.
Aridity defines the water calendar: about 12 inches in a normal year lands this among the driest tenth of ranked stations.
Gulkana earns 2 nationally notable standings (outer quintiles) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations; only those extremes render.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall
7.7 days with precipitation
6.5 days with precipitation
3.9 days with precipitation
3.2 days with precipitation
6.5 days with precipitation
10.5 days with precipitation
12.8 days with precipitation
13.0 days with precipitation
11.3 days with precipitation
8.9 days with precipitation
8.3 days with precipitation
8.3 days with precipitation
Gulkana runs a summer-peaked wet season
43% of Gulkana'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 August at 1.9", on a wide 61.3°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: August, July, September, taking 43% of the annual total between them.
- Driest month: April at 0.2".
- Winter share: 18% 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.
Gulkana is dry, and what does fall arrives gently
Only about 101 days a year record measurable precipitation here, 28% of the calendar, and they carry 11.8" between them. At roughly 0.12 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 August at about 13 wet days; the driest is April at about 3.
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
August 21
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
June 7
50% probability date
Growing Season
75 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
13,377
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
8
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 | 83% | 2.9 | 20% | 45% |
| February | 69% | 4.5 | 28% | 30% |
| March | 59% | 6.3 | 23% | 31% |
| April | 54% | 7.2 | 18% | 32% |
| May | 53% | 7.6 | 14% | 33% |
| June | 61% | 6.6 | 14% | 32% |
| July | 66% | 7.0 | 13% | 41% |
| August | 70% | 6.7 | 15% | 42% |
| September | 73% | 5.9 | 15% | 45% |
| October | 81% | 3.7 | 18% | 46% |
| November | 83% | 3.8 | 19% | 45% |
| December | 84% | 3.1 | 20% | 41% |
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside AK closest to Gulkana 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 (28°F here).
- Cooke City, MT 34°F · 5.9°F off
- Crested Butte, CO 34°F · 5.9°F off
- Silver Gate, MT 34°F · 6.0°F off
- Stanley, ID 34°F · 6.1°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (11.8" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Flaming Gorge, UT 11.8" · 0.0" off
- Benson, AZ 11.8" · 0.0" off
- Hawthorne, CA 11.8" · 0.0" off
- Hemet, CA 11.8" · 0.0" off
Scarce-water calendar
Where Gulkana's limited precipitation lands
heating led · dry · high swing
Winter and seasonal range jointly define this record. Gulkana logs 13,377 heating degree days, more than twice its 8 cooling total, while the typical coldest-to-warmest-month gap reaches 61.3°F. The annual mean therefore compresses two materially different seasons.
Only about 75 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 61.3°F, so a single annual figure is especially lossy; the annual average is 28°f. Compare monthly temperature and precipitation together before drawing a seasonal conclusion about Gulkana.
Gulkana's cold-season load does not imply a wet climate. Annual precipitation is 11.8 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.
Gulkana wettest normal
August
August concentrates the scarce annual total (11.8 inches).
Gulkana driest normal
April
April is typically driest; arid stations are defined by when water is absent, not by a four-season grid.
Questions about Gulkana's climate
How dry is Gulkana? ▼
How cold does Gulkana get in winter? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Gulkana? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Gulkana's primary station: GULKANA AP (USW00026425). 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 0230500), not an incorporated municipality. Match rule for Gulkana: 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 Gulkana 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.