Tok, Alaska climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Tok's normal year runs from −20°F January nights to 72°F July afternoons, with 10.6 inches of precipitation and 38 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of −4.1°C, January lows of −29°C, July highs of 22°C, 269 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationTok
- Station IDUSC00509313
- Location63.33°N 143.04°W
- Elevation1,625 ft (495 m)
- Population (census place)1,490
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Tok.
- Jan -4° -20°
- Feb 8° -13°
- Mar 24° -5°
- Apr 45° 18°
- May 61° 31°
- Jun 71° 42°
- Jul 72° 46°
- Aug 67° 40°
- Sep 54° 31°
- Oct 31° 14°
- Nov 8° -8°
- Dec -2° -18°
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 Tok each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 72°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of −20°F. The most precipitation falls in June (2.37 in), the least in March (0.20 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −4°F | −20°F | -11.9°F | 0.43 | 4.9 | 3 | <1 | 31 | 5 h 40 min |
| February | 8°F | −13°F | -2.5°F | 0.21 | 3.5 | 2 | <1 | 28 | 8 h 40 min |
| March | 24°F | −5°F | 9.6°F | 0.20 | 3.3 | 2 | <1 | 31 | 11 h 40 min |
| April | 45°F | 18°F | 31.2°F | 0.21 | 2.4 | 2 | <1 | 29 | 14 h 50 min |
| May | 61°F | 31°F | 45.9°F | 0.87 | 0.9 | 5 | <1 | 20 | 18 h |
| June | 71°F | 42°F | 56.5°F | 2.37 | 0.0 | 10 | 1 | 4 | 20 h 30 min |
| July | 72°F | 46°F | 59.1°F | 2.29 | 0.0 | 11 | <1 | <1 | 19 h 30 min |
| August | 67°F | 40°F | 53.5°F | 1.32 | 0.0 | 9 | <1 | 5 | 16 h 20 min |
| September | 54°F | 31°F | 42.1°F | 0.95 | 1.8 | 6 | <1 | 18 | 13 h 10 min |
| October | 31°F | 14°F | 22.7°F | 0.55 | 4.9 | 5 | <1 | 30 | 10 h |
| November | 8°F | −8°F | 0.0°F | 0.62 | 8.2 | 5 | <1 | 30 | 6 h 50 min |
| December | −2°F | −18°F | -10.1°F | 0.58 | 7.7 | 5 | <1 | 31 | 4 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 36°F | 13°F | 24.7°F | 10.60 | 37.6 | 63 | 1 | 257 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −20°C | −29°C | −24.4°C | 11 mm | 12 cm |
| February | −13°C | −25°C | −19.2°C | 5 mm | 9 cm |
| March | −4°C | −20°C | −12.4°C | 5 mm | 8 cm |
| April | 7°C | −8°C | −0.4°C | 5 mm | 6 cm |
| May | 16°C | −1°C | 7.7°C | 22 mm | 2 cm |
| June | 22°C | 5°C | 13.6°C | 60 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 22°C | 8°C | 15.1°C | 58 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 19°C | 5°C | 11.9°C | 34 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 12°C | −1°C | 5.6°C | 24 mm | 5 cm |
| October | 0°C | −10°C | −5.2°C | 14 mm | 12 cm |
| November | −13°C | −22°C | −17.8°C | 16 mm | 21 cm |
| December | −19°C | −28°C | −23.4°C | 15 mm | 20 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00509313; 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 Tok?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in June, July and August. Of those, August has the fewest days with rain (9).
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 USC00509313.
How hot and how cold does it get in Tok?
In a normal year in Tok, 1 day a year reaches 90°F, 257 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 63 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 1a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 257a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 161high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 63a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 18a normal year
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1954) is 96°F, on June 15, 1969; the lowest is −71°F, on January 5, 1965.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 2010, with 21.35 in; the snowiest season is 1999–00, with 57.8 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00509313; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USC00509313. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How sunny is Tok?
Over a year 70% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Tok, 2.6 kWh per square metre a day. April is the sunniest month (81%) and November the cloudiest (58%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 65% | 0.2 |
| February | 70% | 0.9 |
| March | 80% | 2.6 |
| April | 81% | 4.5 |
| May | 71% | 5.1 |
| June | 67% | 5.4 |
| July | 67% | 5.0 |
| August | 68% | 3.9 |
| September | 66% | 2.4 |
| October | 59% | 1.0 |
| November | 58% | 0.3 |
| December | 67% | 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 Tok need?
A normal year in Tok brings 14,685 heating degree days, 2.7 times the median U.S. place (5,373), and 22 cooling degree days, 98% 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 672 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 2,382 | 0 |
| February | 1,889 | 0 |
| March | 1,717 | 0 |
| April | 1,016 | 0 |
| May | 592 | 0 |
| June | 263 | 8 |
| July | 192 | 9 |
| August | 361 | 4 |
| September | 687 | 0 |
| October | 1,311 | 0 |
| November | 1,948 | 0 |
| December | 2,327 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 14,685 | 22 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00509313. 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 Tok's climate compare?
Tok is warmer than 11 of the other 84 places with their own NOAA record in Alaska, and wetter than 4. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 24.7°F is warmer than 0%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Tok 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 Tok share this climate record?
3 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.
- Tetlin, AK208 people · 20 mi SE
- Tanacross, AK173 people · 14 mi W
- Mentasta Lake, AK94 people · 28 mi SW
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
What do Tok's other NOAA stations record?
One more NOAA station keeps 1991-2020 normals in or near Tok. This page uses Tok; the other differs by site and elevation:
| Station | From this station | Elevation | Year | Jan low | Jul high | Precip. | Snow | Last frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tok #2 USC00509314 | 2 mi SE | 1,658 ft | 25.0°F | −19°F | 73°F | – | – | June 3 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station. Last frost: the median last spring date of 32°F.
Questions about Tok's climate
What is the coldest month in Tok?
January, with a normal high of −4°F and a normal low of −20°F. The warmest is July (72°F by day, 46°F at night).
Does it snow in Tok?
Yes: 38 inches in a normal year, falling on 23 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in November (8.2 inches).
What is the rainiest month in Tok?
June, with 2.37 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is March with 0.20 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Tok in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Tok in zone 1b in ZIP code 99776, the nearest ZIP area.
Nearby and next
- Alaska climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Northway, AK43 miles from this station, 24.7°F a year
- Dry Creek, AK53 miles from this station, 27.2°F a year
- Chicken, AK63 miles from this station, 20.2°F a year
- Nabesna, AK65 miles from this station, 26.7°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made