Kotzebue, Alaska climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Kotzebue's normal year runs from −8°F January nights to 60°F July afternoons, with 11.4 inches of precipitation and 64 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of −4.4°C, January lows of −22°C, July highs of 16°C, 289 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationKotzebue Airport
- Station IDUSW00026616
- Location66.87°N 162.63°W
- Elevation30 ft (9 m)
- Population2,889
On October 14, the normal high in Kotzebue is 32°F and the normal low 24°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 36%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Kotzebue.
- Jan 5° -8°
- Feb 9° -6°
- Mar 9° -6°
- Apr 24° 9°
- May 39° 27°
- Jun 53° 42°
- Jul 60° 51°
- Aug 57° 48°
- Sep 48° 39°
- Oct 31° 23°
- Nov 16° 6°
- Dec 9° -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 Kotzebue each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 60°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of −8°F. The most precipitation falls in August (2.13 in), the least in May (0.44 in).
Each month has its own page with the day-by-day normals, the month's records and its recent years:
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5°F | −8°F | -1.9°F | 0.62 | 9.4 | 9 | <1 | 31 | 3 h 50 min |
| February | 9°F | −6°F | 1.4°F | 0.85 | 13.1 | 10 | <1 | 28 | 8 h |
| March | 9°F | −6°F | 1.5°F | 0.52 | 6.4 | 7 | <1 | 31 | 11 h 30 min |
| April | 24°F | 9°F | 16.3°F | 0.56 | 4.7 | 7 | <1 | 29 | 15 h 20 min |
| May | 39°F | 27°F | 33.1°F | 0.44 | 1.2 | 7 | <1 | 22 | 19 h 30 min |
| June | 53°F | 42°F | 47.5°F | 0.60 | 0.0 | 6 | <1 | 3 | 24 h |
| July | 60°F | 51°F | 55.3°F | 1.60 | 0.0 | 11 | <1 | <1 | 22 h 10 min |
| August | 57°F | 48°F | 52.1°F | 2.13 | 0.0 | 14 | <1 | <1 | 17 h 20 min |
| September | 48°F | 39°F | 43.1°F | 1.42 | 0.6 | 12 | <1 | 6 | 13 h 20 min |
| October | 31°F | 23°F | 26.9°F | 1.07 | 5.9 | 12 | <1 | 25 | 9 h 40 min |
| November | 16°F | 6°F | 10.8°F | 0.82 | 11.0 | 10 | <1 | 30 | 5 h 40 min |
| December | 9°F | −4°F | 2.4°F | 0.73 | 11.9 | 10 | <1 | 31 | 2 h |
| Year (annual) | 30°F | 18°F | 24.0°F | 11.36 | 64.2 | 113 | <1 | 236 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −15°C | −22°C | −18.8°C | 16 mm | 24 cm |
| February | −13°C | −21°C | −17.0°C | 22 mm | 33 cm |
| March | −13°C | −21°C | −16.9°C | 13 mm | 16 cm |
| April | −5°C | −13°C | −8.7°C | 14 mm | 12 cm |
| May | 4°C | −3°C | 0.6°C | 11 mm | 3 cm |
| June | 12°C | 5°C | 8.6°C | 15 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 16°C | 10°C | 12.9°C | 41 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 14°C | 9°C | 11.2°C | 54 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 9°C | 4°C | 6.2°C | 36 mm | 2 cm |
| October | −1°C | −5°C | −2.8°C | 27 mm | 15 cm |
| November | −9°C | −15°C | −11.8°C | 21 mm | 28 cm |
| December | −13°C | −20°C | −16.4°C | 19 mm | 30 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00026616; 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 Kotzebue?
No month's normal high reaches 65°F in Kotzebue: the warmest is July at 60°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 USW00026616.
When is the last frost in Kotzebue?
In Kotzebue, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after June 5 in half of years and after June 17 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 24 in half of years and before September 7 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 51 year in 10 after June 17; 9 in 10 after May 20
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 241 year in 10 before September 7; 9 in 10 before October 6
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 110 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 128 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 27 in half of springs and before October 3 in half of autumns.
By the USDA's method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, Kotzebue's NOAA station is in plant hardiness zone 3a: the coldest night of a typical year reaches −37°F (29 complete years).
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Alaska · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00026616; the station zone: ACIS daily lows, 1991-2020. 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 Kotzebue?
In a normal year in Kotzebue, a 90°F day is rare, 236 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 113 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
- 236a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 191high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 113a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 21a normal year
The highest temperature in Kotzebue's official record (kept by the National Weather Service since 1902) is 85°F, on June 22, 1991; the lowest is −55°F, on January 18, 1934.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 2023, with 17.48 in; the snowiest season is 2004–05, with 117.7 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00026616; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), NWS threaded record OTZthr. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is Kotzebue, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 46°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 48°F; the driest air comes in January (−6°F). October is the windiest month (13.4 mph on average), and January has the most clear or nearly clear hours (56%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −6°F | 86% | 86% | 11.5 mph | 56% | 27% |
| February | −3°F | 78% | 76% | 12.0 mph | 47% | 33% |
| March | 1°F | 77% | 74% | 10.3 mph | 50% | 29% |
| April | 20°F | 82% | 78% | 9.9 mph | 39% | 34% |
| May | 33°F | 80% | 76% | 9.9 mph | 34% | 29% |
| June | 46°F | 77% | 73% | 11.3 mph | 28% | 29% |
| July | 48°F | 80% | 75% | 11.8 mph | 22% | 43% |
| August | 42°F | 78% | 71% | 11.8 mph | 29% | 37% |
| September | 30°F | 77% | 70% | 12.7 mph | 30% | 42% |
| October | 14°F | 82% | 79% | 13.4 mph | 39% | 39% |
| November | 0°F | 79% | 78% | 12.2 mph | 45% | 35% |
| December | −3°F | 79% | 81% | 11.5 mph | 50% | 30% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00026616. Monthly averages of all hours; afternoon humidity at 3 p.m. local standard time; sky as the share of hours NOAA's observations rate clear or few clouds (a dash where NOAA publishes no sky value).
How sunny is Kotzebue?
Over a year 72% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Kotzebue, 2.5 kWh per square metre a day. May is the sunniest month (82%) and October the cloudiest (60%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 67% | 0.1 |
| February | 65% | 0.6 |
| March | 81% | 2.3 |
| April | 73% | 3.8 |
| May | 82% | 5.9 |
| June | 76% | 6.1 |
| July | 66% | 4.8 |
| August | 65% | 3.5 |
| September | 66% | 2.1 |
| October | 60% | 0.8 |
| November | 63% | 0.1 |
| December | 74% | 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 Kotzebue need?
A normal year in Kotzebue brings 14,907 heating degree days, 2.8 times the median U.S. place (5,373), and 5 cooling degree days, 99% 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 372 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 2,075 | 0 |
| February | 1,781 | 0 |
| March | 1,967 | 0 |
| April | 1,461 | 0 |
| May | 987 | 0 |
| June | 527 | 2 |
| July | 304 | 3 |
| August | 399 | 1 |
| September | 657 | 0 |
| October | 1,181 | 0 |
| November | 1,627 | 0 |
| December | 1,941 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 14,907 | 5 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00026616. 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.
Has Kotzebue been warmer than normal lately?
2024 averaged 23.9°F, 0.1°F below the 1991-2020 normal of 24.0°F. 0 of the 4 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 20.8°F | −3.2°F | – | – |
| 2022 | 22.8°F | −1.2°F | 12.24 | – |
| 2023 | 23.0°F | −1.0°F | 17.48 | – |
| 2024 | 23.9°F | −0.1°F | 13.76 | – |
Over 86 complete years from 1929 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 5.4°F per century (+0.30°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00026616; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Kotzebue's climate compare?
Kotzebue is warmer than 9 of the other 84 places with their own NOAA record in Alaska, and wetter than 6. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 24.0°F is warmer than 0%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Kotzebue 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.
Which places near Kotzebue share this climate record?
Noorvik 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.
- Noorvik, AK625 people · 43 mi E
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 Kotzebue's climate
What is the coldest month in Kotzebue?
January, with a normal high of 5°F and a normal low of −8°F. The warmest is July (60°F by day, 51°F at night).
Does it snow in Kotzebue?
Yes: 64 inches in a normal year, falling on 66 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in February (13.1 inches).
What is the rainiest month in Kotzebue?
August, with 2.13 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is May with 0.44 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Kotzebue in?
By the same method at Kotzebue's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches −37°F (29 years, 1991-2020): zone 3a.
How late can frost come in Kotzebue?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after June 5; in one year in ten it comes after June 17. Waiting until June 17 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Kotzebue in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- Alaska climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Deering, AK55 miles from this station, 23.2°F a year
- Kivalina, AK78 miles from this station, 22.7°F a year
- Nome, AK181 miles from this station, 28.0°F a year
- Kaltag, AK208 miles from this station, 27.9°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made