Photo: AnaSoc · CC BY-SA 4.0Ester sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 72°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in almost every U.S. town. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 87°. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from September to May, which average under 50°.
A year in Ester at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ester’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ester’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Ester feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 98 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by September 1. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Keystone Ridge, AK, 7 miles from the town’s center, 390 ft lower; frost dates and degree days from Ester, AK, 2.3 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ester’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −30°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 61 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at University Exp Stn, AK, falls mostly in January, November and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 104 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ester
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 Ester, AK.
Living with Ester’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
98 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 24 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 133 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ester from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (34%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ester and its neighbors
Goldstream has the coldest January nights next door (-19°, 4° colder) and Goldstream the hottest July afternoons (73°, 1° 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 Ester’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ester, AK | −15° | 72° | 15" | 61" |
| International Falls, MN | −5° | 78° | 28" | 73" |
| Grand Forks, ND | −2° | 81° | 22" | 49" |
| Superior, WI | 6° | 76° | 30" | 56" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
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 Ester compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ester’s place among Alaska’s.
Ester weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from University Exp Stn, AK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0° | −15° | 0.7" | 10.6" | 7 | 31 |
| February | 11° | −10° | 0.6" | 9.5" | 6 | 29 |
| March | 25° | −5° | 0.5" | 6.8" | 5 | 31 |
| April | 45° | 18° | 0.4" | 2.7" | 3 | 20 |
| May | 61° | 34° | 0.7" | 0.5" | 6 | 1 |
| June | 71° | 45° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 |
| July | 72° | 49° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| August | 65° | 43° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 |
| September | 54° | 31° | 1.5" | 1.2" | 11 | 1 |
| October | 33° | 15° | 0.9" | 7.9" | 9 | 17 |
| November | 11° | −5° | 0.9" | 11.4" | 9 | 29 |
| December | 3° | −12° | 0.8" | 10.3" | 8 | 31 |
| Year | 38° | 16° | 14.6" | 60.9" | 104 | 189 |
Where Ester’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: University Exp Stn, AK.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Ester, AK, 2.3 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Keystone Ridge, AK, 7 miles from the town’s center, 390 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 Ester’s climate
What is the weather like in Ester?
A typical July afternoon reaches 72°, a January night drops to −15°, and about 61 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 5 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 109 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ester in winter?
January nights average −15°. About 214 nights a year reach 32° or below and 60 reach 0° or below.
How much snow does Ester get?
About 61 inches in a normal winter at University Exp Stn, AK, most of it in January, November and December, with snow on the ground about 189 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ester?
July, with a typical high of 72°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Ester, AK.
When is the first and last frost in Ester?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by September 1, about 98 frost-free days, at Ester, AK.
What growing zone is Ester in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −30°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ester?
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 Ester.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.