Hardly any U.S. towns see fresher July days than Gustavus
Nights in January average 22°. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 97% of U.S. towns. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in October and the lightest in June. Long walks are most pleasant from June to August, when afternoons reach 62–63°.
A year in Gustavus at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gustavus’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gustavus’ place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Gustavus feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 116 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 28 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Gustavus 2 Ne, AK, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gustavus’ center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 72 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Gustavus, AK, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 59 inches a year; October is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 227 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gustavus
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55°: every month but July.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Gustavus 2 Ne, AK.
Living with Gustavus’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
116 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 28 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 9.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gustavus 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 →Gustavus and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Gustavus yet.
Climates most like Gustavus’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gustavus, AK | 22° | 63° | 59" | 72" |
| North Elba, NY | 4° | 72° | 52" | 104" |
| Rockland, ME | 14° | 75° | 49" | 69" |
| Incline Village, NV | 22° | 73° | 38" | 179" |
| Hazleton, PA | 16° | 78° | 51" | 42" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
How Gustavus compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gustavus’ place among Alaska’s.
Gustavus weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Gustavus, AK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 22° | 4.9" | 18.1" | 20 | 25 |
| February | 37° | 23° | 3.6" | 11.4" | 17 | 23 |
| March | 40° | 24° | 3.5" | 11.7" | 17 | 20 |
| April | 49° | 29° | 2.8" | 1.8" | 18 | 7 |
| May | 57° | 35° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 |
| June | 62° | 42° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 |
| July | 63° | 47° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 |
| August | 63° | 46° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 |
| September | 56° | 41° | 7.6" | 0.0" | 22 | 0 |
| October | 48° | 34° | 8.3" | 0.5" | 23 | 0 |
| November | 39° | 28° | 6.3" | 10.8" | 21 | 10 |
| December | 35° | 24° | 6.5" | 18.0" | 21 | 20 |
| Year | 48° | 33° | 58.7" | 72.3" | 227 | 105 |
Where Gustavus’ 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: Gustavus, AK (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Gustavus 2 Ne, AK, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Gustavus’ climate
What is the weather like in Gustavus?
A typical July afternoon reaches 63°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 72 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 9 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gustavus in winter?
January nights average 22°. About 163 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below.
How much snow does Gustavus get?
About 72 inches in a normal winter at Gustavus, AK, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 105 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gustavus?
July, with a typical high of 63°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Gustavus 2 Ne, AK.
When is the first and last frost in Gustavus?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 28 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 116 frost-free days, at Gustavus 2 Ne, AK.
What growing zone is Gustavus in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gustavus?
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 Gustavus.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.