Nuiqsut, Alaska climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Nuiqsut's normal year runs from −23°F January nights to 58°F July afternoons, with 5.7 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of −10.3°C, January lows of −31°C, July highs of 14°C, 144 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationNuiqsut Airport
- Station IDUSW00027515
- Location70.21°N 151.00°W
- Elevation57 ft (17 m)
- From the centerunder 1 mile
- Population486
On October 23, the normal high in Nuiqsut is 20°F and the normal low 8°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Nuiqsut.
- Jan -8° -23°
- Feb -9° -23°
- Mar -7° -21°
- Apr 10° -5°
- May 29° 19°
- Jun 50° 35°
- Jul 58° 41°
- Aug 51° 38°
- Sep 40° 30°
- Oct 24° 13°
- Nov 8° -6°
- Dec -3° -17°
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 Nuiqsut each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 58°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of −23°F. The most precipitation falls in August (1.21 in), the least in March (0.15 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −8°F | −23°F | -15.7°F | 0.32 | – | <1 | 31 | 0 h |
| February | −9°F | −23°F | -15.7°F | 0.20 | – | <1 | 28 | 7 h 10 min |
| March | −7°F | −21°F | -14.2°F | 0.15 | – | <1 | 31 | 11 h 30 min |
| April | 10°F | −5°F | 2.3°F | 0.40 | – | <1 | 30 | 16 h |
| May | 29°F | 19°F | 24.1°F | 0.38 | – | <1 | 30 | 22 h 40 min |
| June | 50°F | 35°F | 42.3°F | 0.57 | – | <1 | 13 | 24 h |
| July | 58°F | 41°F | 49.5°F | 1.14 | – | <1 | 2 | 24 h |
| August | 51°F | 38°F | 44.4°F | 1.21 | – | <1 | 5 | 18 h 30 min |
| September | 40°F | 30°F | 34.8°F | 0.58 | – | <1 | 20 | 13 h 30 min |
| October | 24°F | 13°F | 18.5°F | 0.16 | – | <1 | 31 | 9 h 10 min |
| November | 8°F | −6°F | 1.2°F | 0.26 | – | <1 | 30 | 3 h 50 min |
| December | −3°F | −17°F | -10.2°F | 0.31 | – | <1 | 31 | 0 h |
| Year (annual) | 20°F | 7°F | 13.4°F | 5.68 | – | <1 | 281 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −22°C | −31°C | −26.5°C | 8 mm |
| February | −23°C | −30°C | −26.5°C | 5 mm |
| March | −22°C | −30°C | −25.7°C | 4 mm |
| April | −12°C | −21°C | −16.5°C | 10 mm |
| May | −2°C | −7°C | −4.4°C | 10 mm |
| June | 10°C | 2°C | 5.7°C | 14 mm |
| July | 14°C | 5°C | 9.7°C | 29 mm |
| August | 11°C | 3°C | 6.9°C | 31 mm |
| September | 4°C | −1°C | 1.6°C | 15 mm |
| October | −4°C | −10°C | −7.5°C | 4 mm |
| November | −13°C | −21°C | −17.1°C | 7 mm |
| December | −20°C | −27°C | −23.4°C | 8 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Colville Village (21 miles away), gets 58 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00027515; 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 Nuiqsut?
No month's normal high reaches 65°F in Nuiqsut: the warmest is July at 58°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 USW00027515.
How hot and how cold does it get in Nuiqsut?
In a normal year in Nuiqsut, a 90°F day is rare and 281 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
- 281a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 230high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00027515.
How much heating and cooling does Nuiqsut need?
A normal year in Nuiqsut brings 18,759 heating degree days, 3.5 times the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1 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 146 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 2,503 | 0 |
| February | 2,260 | 0 |
| March | 2,454 | 0 |
| April | 1,881 | 0 |
| May | 1,268 | 0 |
| June | 681 | 0 |
| July | 480 | 1 |
| August | 639 | 0 |
| September | 908 | 0 |
| October | 1,440 | 0 |
| November | 1,915 | 0 |
| December | 2,331 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 18,759 | 1 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00027515. 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 Nuiqsut's climate compare?
Nuiqsut is warmer than 0 of the other 84 places with their own NOAA record in Alaska, and wetter than 1. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 13.4°F is warmer than 0%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Nuiqsut is ET: tundra. 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 Nuiqsut's climate
What is the coldest month in Nuiqsut?
January, with a normal high of −8°F and a normal low of −23°F. The warmest is July (58°F by day, 41°F at night).
Does it snow in Nuiqsut?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Nuiqsut's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Colville Village (21 miles away), records 58 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Nuiqsut?
August, with 1.21 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is March with 0.15 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Nuiqsut in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Nuiqsut in zone 2a in ZIP code 99789. By the same method at Nuiqsut's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches −47°F (15 years, 1991-2020): zone 2a.
Nearby and next
- Alaska climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Alpine, AK9 miles from this station, 14.4°F a year
- Colville Village, AK21 miles from this station, 13.2°F a year
- Kuparuk, AK34 miles from this station, 13.5°F a year
- Deadhorse Airport, AK59 miles from this station, 13.3°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made