Metlakatla, Alaska climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Metlakatla's normal year runs from 31°F January nights to 63°F August afternoons, with 105.2 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 7.6°C, January lows of −1°C, August highs of 17°C, 2,673 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationMetlakatla (6 mi S)
- Station IDUSW00025381
- Location55.05°N 131.59°W
- Elevation105 ft (32 m)
- Population (census place)1,338
On October 23, the normal high in Metlakatla is 50°F and the normal low 39°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Metlakatla.
- Jan 41° 31°
- Feb 42° 31°
- Mar 44° 33°
- Apr 49° 38°
- May 56° 43°
- Jun 60° 48°
- Jul 62° 53°
- Aug 63° 53°
- Sep 59° 47°
- Oct 52° 41°
- Nov 45° 35°
- Dec 41° 32°
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 Metlakatla each month?
August is the warmest month, with normal highs of 63°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 31°F. The most precipitation falls in November (12.80 in), the least in May (5.08 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41°F | 31°F | 36.1°F | 11.02 | – | <1 | 13 | 7 h 40 min |
| February | 42°F | 31°F | 36.5°F | 7.59 | – | <1 | 18 | 9 h 40 min |
| March | 44°F | 33°F | 38.4°F | 8.22 | – | <1 | 14 | 11 h 40 min |
| April | 49°F | 38°F | 43.4°F | 6.96 | – | <1 | 4 | 14 h |
| May | 56°F | 43°F | 49.7°F | 5.08 | – | <1 | <1 | 16 h 10 min |
| June | 60°F | 48°F | 54.1°F | 5.50 | – | <1 | <1 | 17 h 20 min |
| July | 62°F | 53°F | 57.4°F | 5.59 | – | <1 | <1 | 16 h 50 min |
| August | 63°F | 53°F | 57.8°F | 8.27 | – | <1 | <1 | 15 h |
| September | 59°F | 47°F | 53.2°F | 10.01 | – | <1 | <1 | 12 h 50 min |
| October | 52°F | 41°F | 46.0°F | 12.77 | – | <1 | 3 | 10 h 40 min |
| November | 45°F | 35°F | 39.7°F | 12.80 | – | <1 | 9 | 8 h 30 min |
| December | 41°F | 32°F | 36.6°F | 11.43 | – | <1 | 15 | 7 h 10 min |
| Year (annual) | 51°F | 40°F | 45.7°F | 105.24 | – | <1 | 75 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5°C | −1°C | 2.3°C | 280 mm |
| February | 5°C | 0°C | 2.5°C | 193 mm |
| March | 7°C | 0°C | 3.6°C | 209 mm |
| April | 10°C | 3°C | 6.3°C | 177 mm |
| May | 13°C | 6°C | 9.8°C | 129 mm |
| June | 15°C | 9°C | 12.3°C | 140 mm |
| July | 17°C | 11°C | 14.1°C | 142 mm |
| August | 17°C | 12°C | 14.3°C | 210 mm |
| September | 15°C | 8°C | 11.8°C | 254 mm |
| October | 11°C | 5°C | 7.8°C | 324 mm |
| November | 7°C | 2°C | 4.3°C | 325 mm |
| December | 5°C | 0°C | 2.6°C | 290 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Annette Island Airport (1 miles away), gets 35 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00025381; 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 Metlakatla?
No month's normal high reaches 65°F in Metlakatla: the warmest is August at 63°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 USW00025381.
When is the last frost in Metlakatla?
In Metlakatla, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 14 in half of years and after May 1 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 25 in half of years and before October 8 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
- April 141 year in 10 after May 1; 9 in 10 after March 30
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 251 year in 10 before October 8; 9 in 10 before November 9
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 192 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 226 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after March 26 in half of springs and before November 8 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Metlakatla in zone 8a in ZIP code 99926, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Alaska · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00025381; 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 Metlakatla?
In a normal year in Metlakatla, a 90°F day is rare and 75 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
- 75a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 6high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00025381.
How sunny is Metlakatla?
Over a year 55% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Metlakatla, 2.4 kWh per square metre a day. May is the sunniest month (59%) and November the cloudiest (44%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 45% | 0.5 |
| February | 56% | 1.3 |
| March | 54% | 2.2 |
| April | 58% | 3.6 |
| May | 59% | 4.5 |
| June | 55% | 4.6 |
| July | 54% | 4.2 |
| August | 57% | 3.6 |
| September | 54% | 2.4 |
| October | 50% | 1.3 |
| November | 44% | 0.6 |
| December | 45% | 0.3 |
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 Metlakatla need?
A normal year in Metlakatla brings 7,024 heating degree days, 31% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 7 cooling degree days, 99% fewer than the median (908). Ten months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 775 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 896 | 0 |
| February | 799 | 0 |
| March | 825 | 0 |
| April | 650 | 0 |
| May | 476 | 0 |
| June | 330 | 1 |
| July | 239 | 4 |
| August | 226 | 2 |
| September | 356 | 0 |
| October | 589 | 0 |
| November | 759 | 0 |
| December | 880 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 7,024 | 7 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00025381. 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 Metlakatla been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 46.3°F, 0.5°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 45.7°F. 4 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 45.1°F | −0.6°F | 116.72 |
| 2022 | 46.1°F | +0.4°F | – |
| 2023 | 47.3°F | +1.6°F | 120.23 |
| 2024 | 46.4°F | +0.7°F | 104.84 |
| 2025 | 46.3°F | +0.5°F | 132.52 |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00025381. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Metlakatla's climate compare?
Metlakatla is warmer than 83 of the other 84 places with their own NOAA record in Alaska, and wetter than 67. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 45.7°F is warmer than 22%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Metlakatla is Cfb: temperate, no dry season, warm 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 Metlakatla's climate
What is the coldest month in Metlakatla?
January, with a normal high of 41°F and a normal low of 31°F. The warmest is August (63°F by day, 53°F at night).
Does it snow in Metlakatla?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Metlakatla's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Annette Island Airport (1 miles away), records 35 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Metlakatla?
November, with 12.80 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is May with 5.08 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Metlakatla in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Metlakatla in zone 8a in ZIP code 99926, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Metlakatla?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 14; in one year in ten it comes after May 1. Waiting until May 1 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Alaska climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Annette Island Airport, AK1 miles from this station, 47.7°F a year
- Ketchikan, AK22 miles from this station, 46.0°F a year
- Thorne Bay, AK58 miles from this station, 44.2°F a year
- Craig, AK68 miles from this station, 44.9°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made