Photo: Federal Aviation Administration, Alaska Region · Public domainBig Lake’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 66°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 59 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Big Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Lake’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Big Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 100 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 29 and the first by September 7. Frost and day counts come from Whites Crossing, AK, 13 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Lake’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −26°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 59 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ft Richardson Wtp, AK, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; September is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 102 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Big Lake
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from September through June.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Whites Crossing, AK.
Living with Big Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
100 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 29 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 76 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big Lake from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (90%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Big Lake and its neighbors
Knik-Fairview has the coldest January nights next door (7°, 2° colder) and Knik-Fairview the hottest July afternoons (68°, 2° 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 Lake’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 Lake, AK | 8° | 66° | 16" | 59" |
| Superior, WI | 6° | 76° | 30" | 56" |
| Gladstone, MI | 11° | 76° | 31" | 47" |
| Duluth, MN | 5° | 76° | 30" | 56" |
| Woodland Park, CO | 11° | 77° | 22" | 134" |
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 Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Lake’s place among Alaska’s.
Big Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ft Richardson Wtp, AK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 8° | 0.6" | 9.8" | 6 |
| February | 28° | 12° | 0.9" | 10.3" | 7 |
| March | 33° | 15° | 0.7" | 10.7" | 6 |
| April | 46° | 28° | 0.4" | 1.5" | 3 |
| May | 57° | 38° | 0.7" | 0.4" | 6 |
| June | 64° | 46° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 8 |
| July | 66° | 50° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 12 |
| August | 64° | 48° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 14 |
| September | 55° | 40° | 2.7" | 0.1" | 14 |
| October | 42° | 28° | 1.7" | 4.4" | 11 |
| November | 28° | 15° | 1.2" | 9.0" | 8 |
| December | 24° | 11° | 1.4" | 13.2" | 8 |
| Year | 44° | 28° | 15.7" | 59.4" | 102 |
Where Big Lake’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: Ft Richardson Wtp, AK.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Whites Crossing, AK, 13 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Big Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 66°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 59 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 38 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Lake in winter?
January nights average 8°. About 228 nights a year reach 32° or below and 70 reach 0° or below.
How much snow does Big Lake get?
About 59 inches in a normal winter at Ft Richardson Wtp, AK, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Big Lake?
July, with a typical high of 66°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Whites Crossing, AK.
When is the first and last frost in Big Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 29 and the first fall frost by September 7, about 100 frost-free days, at Whites Crossing, AK.
What growing zone is Big Lake in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Big Lake?
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 Lake.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.