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AnchorpointPhoto: Beeblebrox · CC BY-SA 3.0
Climate in Anchor Point · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Anchor Point gets about 101 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns

A typical July afternoon reaches 61°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 101 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

More snow than 97% of U.S. towns#2Snowiest  of 36 in AK
Cooler July afternoons than all but 6 U.S. towns#7Coolest summers  of 42 in AK
All AK rankings →

A year in Anchor Point at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan28°18° 18" snow
Feb31°20° 17" snow
Mar33°21° 13" snow
Apr42°29° 7" snow
May51°36° Last frost ~May 10
Jun57°42°
Jul61°47°
Aug60°46°
Sep53°41° First frost ~Sep 29Wettest
Oct42°32° 5" snow
Nov now33°23° 14" snow
Dec29°20° 26" snow

What stands out about Anchor Point’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Anchor Point’s place in Alaska beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Anchor Point feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
29° / 20°
31 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
42° / 29°
Last frost around May 10
Summer
59° / 45°
90° days are rare
Fall
42° / 32°
First frost around Sep 29
Best months to be outsideNo month sits in the comfortable 62–84° range. Summer is the mild season here.
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 141 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Homer Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, 310 ft lower.

169
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
33rd most of 41 in Alaska
More freezing nights than 95% of U.S. towns
6
nights at or below 0°
31st most of 41 in Alaska
More nights at or below 0° than 73% of U.S. towns
0
days that reach 90°
None in a normal year
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
6aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 6a

The 2023 USDA map puts Anchor Point’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

27
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 101 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Homer 8 Nw, AK, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 30 inches a year; September is the wettest month and March the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 163 days a year.

30"
Rain + melted snow a year
33rd driest of 42 in Alaska
Drier than 86% of U.S. towns
101"
Snow in a normal winter
2nd snowiest of 36 in Alaska
More snow than 97% of U.S. towns
167 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
16th most of 29 in Alaska
More days with snow on the ground than all but 19 U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

4.6"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

26"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Anchor Point

Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from every month of the year.

9,084 heating degree daysMore heating than all but 105 U.S. towns
0 cooling degree daysLess cooling than all but 2 U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Homer Airport.

Living here

Living with Anchor Point’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

141 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 10 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 29.

Get outside

38 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Anchor Point from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (77%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Anchor Point and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Anchor Point in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Fritz Creek: January low 17°, July high 64°Homer: January low 19°, July high 63°Kachemak: January low 19°, July high 63°Ninilchik: January low 18°, July high 61°Nikolaevsk: January low 18°, July high 61°Diamond Ridge: January low 18°, July high 61°Happy Valley: January low 18°, July high 61°Anchor Point: January low 18°, July high 61°Anchor PointNikolaevskDiamond RidgeHappy Valley
ColderMilder17° to 19°
Anchor Point18.3°
Nikolaevsk18.3° about the same
Diamond Ridge18.3° about the same
Happy Valley18.3° about the same

Climates most like Anchor Point’s, farther away

TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Anchor Point, AK18°61°30"101"
Incline Village, NV22°73°38"179"
Marquette, MI11°76°32"102"
North Elba, NY4°72°52"104"
Waldoboro, ME14°75°49"79"

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.

Compared with other towns

How Anchor Point compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Anchor Point’s place among Alaska’s.

Summer heat61° July high
Cooler July afternoons than all but 6 U.S. towns7th coolest of 42 in Alaska
Winter cold18° January low
Colder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns32nd coldest of 42 in Alaska
Precipitation30" a year
Drier than 86% of U.S. towns33rd driest of 42 in Alaska
Snow101" a winter
More snow than 97% of U.S. towns2nd snowiest of 36 in Alaska
Hot days0 days at 90°+
None in a normal year
Freezing nights169 a year
More freezing nights than 95% of U.S. towns33rd most of 41 in Alaska
Growing season141 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 96% of U.S. towns30th shortest of 40 in Alaska
Month by month

Anchor Point weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Homer 8 Nw, AK. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground
January28°18°2.1"17.6"1330
February31°20°1.9"17.2"1227
March33°21°1.2"13.3"1030
April42°29°1.4"6.5"1022
May51°36°1.2"0.6"124
June57°42°1.6"0.0"130
July61°47°2.3"0.0"140
August60°46°3.3"0.0"160
September53°41°4.6"0.6"180
October42°32°3.6"4.7"165
November33°23°3.2"13.7"1419
December29°20°3.3"26.4"1630
Year43°31°29.7"100.6"163167
Sources

Where Anchor Point’s numbers come from

Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →

  • Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station (NOAA’s grid doesn’t cover Alaska).
  • Snow: Homer 8 Nw, AK.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Homer Airport, 11 miles from the town’s center, 310 ft lower; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
  • Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
  • Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).

Common questions about Anchor Point’s climate

What is the weather like in Anchor Point?

A typical July afternoon reaches 61°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 101 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 6 U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Anchor Point in winter?

January nights average 18°. About 169 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below.

How much snow does Anchor Point get?

About 101 inches in a normal winter at Homer 8 Nw, AK, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 167 days a year.

How hot does it get in Anchor Point?

July, with a typical high of 61°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Homer Airport.

When is the first and last frost in Anchor Point?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 141 frost-free days, at Homer Airport.

What growing zone is Anchor Point in?

Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.

What is the best time of year to visit Anchor Point?

No month meets the simple rule we use (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more). The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Anchor Point.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.