Rika's Landing Roadhouse · Photo: User:Lar · CC BY-SA 4.0Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Big Delta
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 70° on average. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in almost every U.S. town. Precipitation peaks in July and eases off in April. The heating season runs September to May: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Big Delta at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Delta’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Delta’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Big Delta feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze is possible in every month
About 256 nights a year fall to 32° or below, and 112 to 0° or below. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Delta 6 N, AK, 2.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Delta’s center in zone 2a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −49°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Delta 6 N, AK, falls mostly in November. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 107 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Big Delta
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from August through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Delta 6 N, AK.
Living with Big Delta’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 2a, and frost can come in any month. The longest frost-free stretch in half of years is about 63 days.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 29 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big Delta from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (33%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Big Delta and its neighbors
Whitestone the hottest July afternoons (74°, 4° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Big Delta’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.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Delta, AK | −16° | 70° | 13" | 43" |
| Thief River Falls, MN | −4° | 79° | 22" | 50" |
| Grand Forks, ND | −2° | 81° | 22" | 49" |
| Superior, WI | 6° | 76° | 30" | 56" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
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.
How Big Delta compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Delta’s place among Alaska’s.
Big Delta weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Delta 6 N, AK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3° | −16° | 0.4" | 6.2" | 7 | 31 |
| February | 13° | −9° | 0.3" | 4.7" | 6 | 28 |
| March | 24° | −6° | 0.3" | 3.6" | 5 | 30 |
| April | 44° | 17° | 0.3" | 2.5" | 4 | 15 |
| May | 60° | 32° | 1.0" | 1.2" | 8 | 1 |
| June | 69° | 43° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| July | 70° | 46° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 |
| August | 64° | 41° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 |
| September | 53° | 29° | 1.3" | 1.5" | 10 | 1 |
| October | 32° | 14° | 0.7" | 7.4" | 9 | 15 |
| November | 12° | −5° | 0.6" | 8.9" | 8 | 29 |
| December | 6° | −12° | 0.5" | 6.8" | 7 | 30 |
| Year | 37° | 14° | 12.6" | 42.8" | 107 | 181 |
Where Big Delta’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: Delta 6 N, AK.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Delta 6 N, AK, 2.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Big Delta’s climate
What is the weather like in Big Delta?
A typical July afternoon reaches 70°, a January night drops to −16°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 4 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 78 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Delta in winter?
January nights average −16°. About 256 nights a year reach 32° or below and 112 reach 0° or below.
How much snow does Big Delta get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Delta 6 N, AK, most of it in November, with snow on the ground about 181 days a year.
How hot does it get in Big Delta?
July, with a typical high of 70°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Delta 6 N, AK.
When is the first and last frost in Big Delta?
There is no reliable frost-free season: at Delta 6 N, AK, every month has nights at 32° or below, about 256 a year. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 63 days.
What growing zone is Big Delta in?
Zone 2a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −49°.
What is the best time of year to visit Big Delta?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July and August. 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 Big Delta.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.