McGrath, Alaska climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
McGrath's normal year runs from −14°F January nights to 70°F July afternoons, with 18.1 inches of precipitation and 87 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of −1.7°C, January lows of −26°C, July highs of 21°C, 458 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationMcGrath Airport
- Station IDUSW00026510
- Location62.96°N 155.61°W
- Elevation333 ft (102 m)
- Population284
On October 23, the normal high in McGrath is 29°F and the normal low 18°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 38%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for McGrath.
- Jan 3° -14°
- Feb 15° -6°
- Mar 25° -1°
- Apr 43° 22°
- May 59° 38°
- Jun 69° 49°
- Jul 70° 52°
- Aug 64° 48°
- Sep 54° 38°
- Oct 35° 22°
- Nov 15° 1°
- Dec 6° -10°
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 McGrath each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 70°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of −14°F. The most precipitation falls in August (2.91 in), the least in March (0.68 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 | 3°F | −14°F | -5.8°F | 1.15 | 14.7 | 10 | <1 | 31 | 5 h 50 min |
| February | 15°F | −6°F | 4.5°F | 0.87 | 12.7 | 9 | <1 | 28 | 8 h 40 min |
| March | 25°F | −1°F | 11.9°F | 0.68 | 9.2 | 8 | <1 | 31 | 11 h 40 min |
| April | 43°F | 22°F | 32.2°F | 0.74 | 4.4 | 7 | <1 | 27 | 14 h 50 min |
| May | 59°F | 38°F | 48.4°F | 0.91 | 0.6 | 9 | <1 | 9 | 17 h 50 min |
| June | 69°F | 49°F | 58.7°F | 1.66 | 0.0 | 13 | <1 | <1 | 20 h 10 min |
| July | 70°F | 52°F | 60.8°F | 2.50 | 0.0 | 15 | <1 | <1 | 19 h 10 min |
| August | 64°F | 48°F | 55.9°F | 2.91 | 0.0 | 16 | <1 | 1 | 16 h 20 min |
| September | 54°F | 38°F | 46.0°F | 2.53 | 1.4 | 14 | <1 | 9 | 13 h 10 min |
| October | 35°F | 22°F | 28.4°F | 1.46 | 7.4 | 12 | <1 | 26 | 10 h |
| November | 15°F | 1°F | 8.0°F | 1.43 | 18.2 | 11 | <1 | 30 | 7 h |
| December | 6°F | −10°F | -2.3°F | 1.21 | 17.9 | 12 | <1 | 31 | 4 h 50 min |
| Year (annual) | 38°F | 20°F | 28.9°F | 18.05 | 86.5 | 137 | <1 | 221 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −16°C | −26°C | −21.0°C | 29 mm | 37 cm |
| February | −10°C | −21°C | −15.3°C | 22 mm | 32 cm |
| March | −4°C | −18°C | −11.2°C | 17 mm | 23 cm |
| April | 6°C | −6°C | 0.1°C | 19 mm | 11 cm |
| May | 15°C | 3°C | 9.1°C | 23 mm | 2 cm |
| June | 20°C | 9°C | 14.8°C | 42 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 21°C | 11°C | 16.0°C | 64 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 18°C | 9°C | 13.3°C | 74 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 12°C | 3°C | 7.8°C | 64 mm | 4 cm |
| October | 1°C | −5°C | −2.0°C | 37 mm | 19 cm |
| November | −9°C | −17°C | −13.3°C | 36 mm | 46 cm |
| December | −15°C | −23°C | −19.1°C | 31 mm | 45 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00026510; 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 McGrath?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in June and July. Of those, June has the fewest days with rain (13).
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 USW00026510.
When is the last frost in McGrath?
In McGrath, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 13 in half of years and after May 28 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 13 in half of years and before August 27 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 131 year in 10 after May 28; 9 in 10 after May 4
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 131 year in 10 before August 27; 9 in 10 before September 27
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 120 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 141 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 4 in half of springs and before September 25 in half of autumns.
By the USDA's method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, McGrath's NOAA station is in plant hardiness zone 2a: the coldest night of a typical year reaches −49°F (30 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 USW00026510; 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 McGrath?
In a normal year in McGrath, a 90°F day is rare, 221 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 137 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
- 221a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 149high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 137a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 27a normal year
The highest temperature in McGrath's official record (kept by the National Weather Service since 1941) is 94°F, on June 17, 2013; the lowest is −75°F, on January 27, 1989.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1990, with 25.68 in; the snowiest season is 1989–90, with 162.2 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00026510; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), NWS threaded record MCGthr. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is McGrath, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 48°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 50°F; the driest air comes in December (−4°F). April is the windiest month (5.6 mph on average), and January has the most clear or nearly clear hours (40%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −4°F | 95% | 80% | 3.0 mph | 40% | 38% |
| February | 2°F | 74% | 61% | 4.1 mph | 38% | 38% |
| March | 11°F | 63% | 48% | 5.3 mph | 40% | 34% |
| April | 26°F | 59% | 41% | 5.6 mph | 30% | 28% |
| May | 39°F | 57% | 39% | 5.4 mph | 21% | 26% |
| June | 49°F | 66% | 49% | 4.8 mph | 15% | 35% |
| July | 50°F | 76% | 60% | 4.6 mph | 9% | 53% |
| August | 44°F | 77% | 58% | 4.5 mph | 18% | 41% |
| September | 31°F | 77% | 62% | 4.9 mph | 25% | 47% |
| October | 14°F | 83% | 76% | 3.6 mph | 26% | 54% |
| November | −2°F | 86% | 81% | 2.6 mph | 34% | 47% |
| December | −4°F | 97% | 94% | 2.5 mph | 38% | 40% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00026510. 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 McGrath?
Over a year 67% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around McGrath, 2.5 kWh per square metre a day. March is the sunniest month (81%) and October the cloudiest (56%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 70% | 0.3 |
| February | 70% | 1.0 |
| March | 81% | 2.7 |
| April | 78% | 4.3 |
| May | 70% | 5.0 |
| June | 66% | 5.3 |
| July | 62% | 4.5 |
| August | 63% | 3.6 |
| September | 62% | 2.3 |
| October | 56% | 1.0 |
| November | 60% | 0.3 |
| December | 68% | 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 much heating and cooling does McGrath need?
A normal year in McGrath brings 13,160 heating degree days, 2.4 times the median U.S. place (5,373), and 30 cooling degree days, 97% fewer than the median (908). Nine months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 884 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 2,193 | 0 |
| February | 1,693 | 0 |
| March | 1,646 | 0 |
| April | 984 | 0 |
| May | 513 | 0 |
| June | 200 | 11 |
| July | 147 | 17 |
| August | 285 | 3 |
| September | 572 | 0 |
| October | 1,133 | 0 |
| November | 1,710 | 0 |
| December | 2,085 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 13,160 | 30 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00026510. 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 McGrath been warmer than normal lately?
2024 averaged 29.2°F, 0.3°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 28.9°F.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 29.2°F | +0.3°F | 22.47 | – |
Over 83 complete years from 1942 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 5.1°F per century (+0.28°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00026510; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does McGrath's climate compare?
McGrath is warmer than 31 of the other 84 places with their own NOAA record in Alaska, and wetter than 33. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 28.9°F is warmer than 1%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, McGrath 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 McGrath 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.
- Nikolai, AK82 people · 39 mi E
- Takotna, AK67 people · 14 mi W
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 McGrath's climate
What is the coldest month in McGrath?
January, with a normal high of 3°F and a normal low of −14°F. The warmest is July (70°F by day, 52°F at night).
Does it snow in McGrath?
Yes: 87 inches in a normal year, falling on 70 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in November (18.2 inches).
What is the rainiest month in McGrath?
August, with 2.91 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is March with 0.68 in.
What plant hardiness zone is McGrath in?
By the same method at McGrath's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches −49°F (30 years, 1991-2020): zone 2a.
How late can frost come in McGrath?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 13; in one year in ten it comes after May 28. Waiting until May 28 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- McGrath in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- Alaska climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Farewell Lake, AK69 miles from this station, 29.8°F a year
- Puntilla, AK109 miles from this station, 30.1°F a year
- Ruby (44 mi ESE), AK116 miles from this station, 26.3°F a year
- Minchumina, AK122 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