Cape Spencer Lighthouse · Photo: United States Coast Guard · Public domainElfin Cove gets about 110 inches of snow a winter, more than 98% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 58°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in almost every U.S. town. The seasons sit close together: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans only 30°. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 26 to November 1.
A year in Elfin Cove at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elfin Cove’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elfin Cove’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Elfin Cove feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 188 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from Elfin Cove, AK, 7 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elfin Cove’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 5°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 110 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Elfin Cove, AK, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 104 inches a year; October is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 247 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Elfin Cove
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from every month of the year.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Elfin Cove, AK.
Living with Elfin Cove’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
188 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 26 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 1.
1.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elfin Cove from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (70%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elfin Cove and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Elfin Cove yet.
Climates most like Elfin Cove’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elfin Cove, AK | 29° | 58° | 104" | 110" |
| Lincoln City, OR | 40° | 67° | 88" | 0.1" |
| Hoquiam, WA | 37° | 68° | 81" | 0.5" |
| Crescent City, CA | 42° | 64° | 69" | 0.0" |
| North Elba, NY | 4° | 72° | 52" | 104" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
How Elfin Cove compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elfin Cove’s place among Alaska’s.
Elfin Cove weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Elfin Cove, AK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 29° | 10.5" | 30.1" | 23 | 21 |
| February | 38° | 30° | 8.0" | 19.7" | 21 | 19 |
| March | 40° | 31° | 7.8" | 20.3" | 19 | 16 |
| April | 46° | 35° | 5.8" | 2.1" | 18 | 2 |
| May | 52° | 41° | 4.7" | 0.1" | 17 | 0 |
| June | 56° | 46° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 |
| July | 58° | 49° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 |
| August | 59° | 50° | 7.9" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 |
| September | 56° | 47° | 12.2" | 0.0" | 22 | 0 |
| October | 48° | 40° | 14.5" | 1.5" | 23 | 1 |
| November | 40° | 34° | 12.3" | 15.8" | 22 | 7 |
| December | 37° | 31° | 11.8" | 20.4" | 24 | 16 |
| Year | 47° | 38° | 104.0" | 110.0" | 247 | 81 |
Where Elfin Cove’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: Elfin Cove, AK.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Elfin Cove, AK, 7 miles from the town’s center, 510 ft lower; 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 Elfin Cove’s climate
What is the weather like in Elfin Cove?
A typical July afternoon reaches 58°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 110 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 3 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elfin Cove in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 83 nights a year reach 32° or below.
How much snow does Elfin Cove get?
About 110 inches in a normal winter at Elfin Cove, AK, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 81 days a year.
How hot does it get in Elfin Cove?
July, with a typical high of 58°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Elfin Cove, AK.
When is the first and last frost in Elfin Cove?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 188 frost-free days, at Elfin Cove, AK.
What growing zone is Elfin Cove in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Elfin Cove?
No month meets the simple rule we use (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more). 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 Elfin Cove.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.