Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Circle
Midsummer highs settle at about 72°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in almost every U.S. town. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 95°. Homes need heating from September to May, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Circle at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Circle’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Circle’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Circle feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 92 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 25 and the first by August 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Central #2, AK, 22 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Circle’s center in zone 1b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −51°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 12 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and March the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Circle
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 Central #2, AK.
Living with Circle’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
92 frost-free days in zone 1b. The last frost comes by May 25 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Aug 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and July. 15 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 78% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Circle from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Circle and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Circle yet.
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
How Circle compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Circle’s place among Alaska’s.
Circle weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | −9° | −23° | 0.4" |
| February | 1° | −19° | 0.3" |
| March | 15° | −13° | 0.2" |
| April | 40° | 11° | 0.3" |
| May | 59° | 31° | 0.7" |
| June | 71° | 42° | 2.6" |
| July | 72° | 45° | 2.6" |
| August | 65° | 39° | 1.8" |
| September | 52° | 28° | 1.4" |
| October | 27° | 10° | 0.8" |
| November | 4° | −12° | 0.4" |
| December | −5° | −20° | 0.5" |
| Year | 33° | 10° | 12.1" |
Where Circle’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: Central #2, AK, 22 miles from the town’s center, 130 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 Circle’s climate
What is the weather like in Circle?
A typical July afternoon reaches 72°, a January night drops to −23°. Colder January nights: first of 12,955 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 121 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Circle in winter?
January nights average −23°. About 254 nights a year reach 32° or below and 147 reach 0° or below.
How hot does it get in Circle?
July, with a typical high of 72°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Central #2, AK.
When is the first and last frost in Circle?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 25 and the first fall frost by August 26, about 92 frost-free days, at Central #2, AK.
What growing zone is Circle in?
Zone 1b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −51°.
What is the best time of year to visit Circle?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and 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 Circle.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.