Fort William H. Seward · Photo: Mike Quach · CC BY-SA 3.0Haines gets about 164 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 42 U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 65°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 164 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Haines at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Haines’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Haines’ place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Haines feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 7. Frost dates and degree days from Haines #2, AK, 1.7 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Haines’ center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 164 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Haines #2, AK, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 63 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 187 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Haines
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 Haines #2, AK.
Living with Haines’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
160 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 30 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Haines from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Haines and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Haines yet.
Climates most like Haines’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haines, AK | 18° | 65° | 63" | 164" |
| North Elba, NY | 4° | 72° | 52" | 104" |
| Incline Village, NV | 22° | 73° | 38" | 179" |
| Waldoboro, ME | 14° | 75° | 49" | 79" |
| Stowe, VT | 7° | 78° | 45" | 139" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
How Haines compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Haines’ place among Alaska’s.
Haines weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Haines #2, AK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 18° | 7.0" | 45.0" | 20 | 28 |
| February | 32° | 21° | 5.6" | 25.0" | 15 | 28 |
| March | 37° | 24° | 4.5" | 23.9" | 15 | 24 |
| April | 48° | 33° | 3.0" | 2.5" | 13 | 10 |
| May | 59° | 41° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 |
| June | 64° | 48° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 |
| July | 65° | 51° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| August | 63° | 50° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 |
| September | 56° | 44° | 6.8" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 |
| October | 46° | 36° | 8.5" | 1.8" | 20 | 1 |
| November | 35° | 25° | 7.8" | 25.7" | 18 | 14 |
| December | 30° | 22° | 9.8" | 40.0" | 20 | 25 |
| Year | 47° | 34° | 63.1" | 163.9" | 187 | 129 |
Where Haines’ 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: Haines #2, AK (NOAA station in town).
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Haines #2, AK, 1.7 miles away.
- 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 Haines’ climate
What is the weather like in Haines?
A typical July afternoon reaches 65°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 164 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 22 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Haines in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 155 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below.
How much snow does Haines get?
About 164 inches in a normal winter at Haines #2, AK, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 129 days a year.
How hot does it get in Haines?
July, with a typical high of 65°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Haines #2, AK.
When is the first and last frost in Haines?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 160 frost-free days, at Haines #2, AK.
What growing zone is Haines in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Haines?
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 Haines.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.