Photo: ARLIS Reference · Public domainChenega is among the wettest of U.S. towns: 138 inches of precipitation a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 63°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 37°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in almost every U.S. town. Tender plants can go out after about May 10; in half of years the first frost comes by October 7.
A year in Chenega at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chenega’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chenega’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Chenega feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 150 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by October 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Port San Juan, AK, 4 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chenega’s center in zone 8a: 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°
About 138 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Chenega
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 Port San Juan, AK.
Living with Chenega’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
150 frost-free days in zone 8a. 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 Oct 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chenega from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (60%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chenega and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Chenega yet.
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
How Chenega compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chenega’s place among Alaska’s.
Chenega weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 26° | 12.3" |
| February | 35° | 26° | 11.6" |
| March | 36° | 26° | 9.6" |
| April | 43° | 32° | 10.3" |
| May | 52° | 37° | 8.1" |
| June | 59° | 44° | 4.5" |
| July | 63° | 50° | 5.3" |
| August | 61° | 49° | 9.8" |
| September | 54° | 44° | 17.4" |
| October | 45° | 36° | 17.3" |
| November | 38° | 30° | 15.9" |
| December | 36° | 28° | 15.8" |
| Year | 46° | 36° | 137.9" |
Where Chenega’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).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Port San Juan, AK, 4 miles from the town’s center, 190 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 Chenega’s climate
What is the weather like in Chenega?
A typical July afternoon reaches 63°, a January night drops to 26°. Milder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 9 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chenega in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 136 nights a year reach 32° or below.
How hot does it get in Chenega?
July, with a typical high of 63°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Port San Juan, AK.
When is the first and last frost in Chenega?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 150 frost-free days, at Port San Juan, AK.
What growing zone is Chenega in?
Zone 8a 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 Chenega?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), July. 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 Chenega.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.