Constitution Hall · Photo: Durkeeco · CC BY-SA 3.0College’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 71°, a January night drops to −12°, and about 64 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in College at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about College’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with College’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in College feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 111 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 18 and the first by September 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at College Obsy, AK, 1.0 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts College’s center in zone 2a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −46°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 64 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at College Obsy, AK, falls mostly in January, November and December. 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 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in College
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from September 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 College Obsy, AK.
Living with College’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
111 frost-free days in zone 2a. The last frost comes by May 18 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 98 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in College from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →College and its neighbors
Goldstream has the coldest January nights next door (-19°, 7° colder) and Goldstream the hottest July afternoons (73°, 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 College’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| College, AK | −12° | 71° | 13" | 64" |
| International Falls, MN | −5° | 78° | 28" | 73" |
| Superior, WI | 6° | 76° | 30" | 56" |
| Grand Forks, ND | −2° | 81° | 22" | 49" |
| Jackson, WY | 6° | 80° | 19" | 78" |
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 College compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with College’s place among Alaska’s.
College weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from College Obsy, AK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2° | −12° | 0.7" | 10.4" | 9 | 31 |
| February | 12° | −5° | 0.6" | 9.9" | 8 | 29 |
| March | 24° | 1° | 0.5" | 7.1" | 6 | 31 |
| April | 44° | 22° | 0.4" | 3.6" | 4 | 22 |
| May | 60° | 37° | 0.6" | 0.8" | 7 | 1 |
| June | 70° | 48° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 |
| July | 71° | 51° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 |
| August | 65° | 46° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 |
| September | 54° | 35° | 1.6" | 2.3" | 12 | 1 |
| October | 33° | 18° | 0.9" | 7.5" | 10 | 17 |
| November | 12° | −1° | 0.8" | 11.2" | 10 | 29 |
| December | 5° | −8° | 0.6" | 11.5" | 9 | 31 |
| Year | 38° | 19° | 13.3" | 64.3" | 116 | 193 |
Where College’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: College Obsy, AK (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: College Obsy, AK, 1.0 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher; 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 College’s climate
What is the weather like in College?
A typical July afternoon reaches 71°, a January night drops to −12°, and about 64 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 7 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 100 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in College in winter?
January nights average −12°. About 229 nights a year reach 32° or below and 96 reach 0° or below.
How much snow does College get?
About 64 inches in a normal winter at College Obsy, AK, most of it in January, November and December, with snow on the ground about 193 days a year.
How hot does it get in College?
July, with a typical high of 71°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at College Obsy, AK.
When is the first and last frost in College?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 18 and the first fall frost by September 6, about 111 frost-free days, at College Obsy, AK.
What growing zone is College in?
Zone 2a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −46°.
What is the best time of year to visit College?
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 College.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.