Kivalina, Alaska climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Kivalina's normal year runs from −9°F January nights to 56°F July afternoons, with 9.7 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of −5.2°C, January lows of −23°C, July highs of 13°C, 246 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationKivalina Airport
- Station IDUSW00026642
- Location67.73°N 164.55°W
- Elevation10 ft (3 m)
- From the center1 miles
- Population400
On October 9, the normal high in Kivalina is 34°F and the normal low 24°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 31%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Kivalina.
- Jan 7° -9°
- Feb 10° -7°
- Mar 9° -8°
- Apr 24° 6°
- May 38° 26°
- Jun 50° 38°
- Jul 56° 46°
- Aug 55° 44°
- Sep 46° 35°
- Oct 31° 21°
- Nov 17° 6°
- Dec 10° -4°
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 Kivalina each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 56°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of −9°F. The most precipitation falls in August (2.33 in), the least in December (0.17 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7°F | −9°F | -1.2°F | 0.28 | 5 | <1 | 31 | 3 h 20 min |
| February | 10°F | −7°F | 1.3°F | 0.44 | 5 | <1 | 28 | 7 h 50 min |
| March | 9°F | −8°F | 0.9°F | 0.18 | 3 | <1 | 31 | 11 h 30 min |
| April | 24°F | 6°F | 14.8°F | 0.56 | 5 | <1 | 30 | 15 h 30 min |
| May | 38°F | 26°F | 32.1°F | 0.57 | 6 | <1 | 24 | 20 h |
| June | 50°F | 38°F | 43.9°F | 0.79 | 6 | <1 | 5 | 24 h |
| July | 56°F | 46°F | 50.9°F | 1.41 | 12 | <1 | <1 | 24 h |
| August | 55°F | 44°F | 49.1°F | 2.33 | 13 | <1 | <1 | 17 h 30 min |
| September | 46°F | 35°F | 40.6°F | 1.52 | 12 | <1 | 10 | 13 h 20 min |
| October | 31°F | 21°F | 25.6°F | 0.93 | 8 | <1 | 26 | 9 h 30 min |
| November | 17°F | 6°F | 11.4°F | 0.51 | 6 | <1 | 30 | 5 h 20 min |
| December | 10°F | −4°F | 2.9°F | 0.17 | 4 | <1 | 31 | 0 h |
| Year (annual) | 29°F | 16°F | 22.7°F | 9.69 | 85 | <1 | 244 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −14°C | −23°C | −18.4°C | 7 mm |
| February | −12°C | −22°C | −17.1°C | 11 mm |
| March | −13°C | −22°C | −17.3°C | 5 mm |
| April | −5°C | −14°C | −9.6°C | 14 mm |
| May | 3°C | −3°C | 0.1°C | 14 mm |
| June | 10°C | 3°C | 6.6°C | 20 mm |
| July | 13°C | 8°C | 10.5°C | 36 mm |
| August | 13°C | 7°C | 9.5°C | 59 mm |
| September | 8°C | 2°C | 4.8°C | 39 mm |
| October | −1°C | −6°C | −3.6°C | 24 mm |
| November | −8°C | −15°C | −11.4°C | 13 mm |
| December | −12°C | −20°C | −16.2°C | 4 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 USW00026642; 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 Kivalina?
No month's normal high reaches 65°F in Kivalina: the warmest is July at 56°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 USW00026642.
When is the last frost in Kivalina?
In Kivalina, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after June 10 in half of years and after June 23 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 11 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
- June 101 year in 10 after June 23; 9 in 10 after May 24
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 111 year in 10 before August 26; 9 in 10 before September 27
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 92 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 114 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after June 1 in half of springs and before September 24 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Kivalina in zone 3a in ZIP code 99750.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Alaska · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00026642; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. 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 Kivalina?
In a normal year in Kivalina, a 90°F day is rare, 244 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 85 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
- 244a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 188high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 85a normal year
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00026642.
How sunny is Kivalina?
Over a year 75% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Kivalina, 2.6 kWh per square metre a day. December is the sunniest month (100%) and October the cloudiest (61%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 73% | 0.1 |
| February | 72% | 0.6 |
| March | 89% | 2.4 |
| April | 86% | 4.5 |
| May | 83% | 5.9 |
| June | 77% | 6.1 |
| July | 66% | 4.7 |
| August | 66% | 3.4 |
| September | 68% | 2.1 |
| October | 61% | 0.7 |
| November | 64% | 0.1 |
| December | 100% | 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 Kivalina need?
A normal year in Kivalina brings 15,402 heating degree days, 2.9 times the median U.S. place (5,373), and 4 cooling degree days, 100% fewer than the median (908). Twelve months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 175 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 2,052 | 0 |
| February | 1,784 | 0 |
| March | 1,987 | 0 |
| April | 1,506 | 0 |
| May | 1,022 | 0 |
| June | 634 | 1 |
| July | 440 | 3 |
| August | 493 | 0 |
| September | 731 | 0 |
| October | 1,223 | 0 |
| November | 1,608 | 0 |
| December | 1,924 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 15,402 | 4 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00026642. 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 Kivalina's climate compare?
Kivalina is warmer than 5 of the other 84 places with their own NOAA record in Alaska, and wetter than 2. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 22.7°F is warmer than 0%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Kivalina is Dwc: continental, dry-winter, 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.
Which places near Kivalina share this climate record?
2 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their 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.
- Noatak, AK700 people · 42 mi E
- Red Dog Mine, AK0 people · 49 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 Kivalina's climate
What is the coldest month in Kivalina?
January, with a normal high of 7°F and a normal low of −9°F. The warmest is July (56°F by day, 46°F at night).
What is the rainiest month in Kivalina?
August, with 2.33 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is December with 0.17 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Kivalina in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Kivalina in zone 3a in ZIP code 99750.
How late can frost come in Kivalina?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after June 10; in one year in ten it comes after June 23. Waiting until June 23 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Alaska climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Kotzebue, AK78 miles from this station, 24.0°F a year
- Deering, AK125 miles from this station, 23.2°F a year
- Nome, AK224 miles from this station, 28.0°F a year
- Wainwright, AK230 miles from this station, 14.8°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made