Happy Valley gets about 101 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 61°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in almost every U.S. town. Precipitation peaks in September and eases off in March. Garden planting can start around May 10; autumn frost returns near September 29.
A year in Happy Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Happy Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Happy Valley’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Happy Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 141 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Homer Airport, 20 miles from the town’s center, 490 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Happy Valley’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 101 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Homer 8 Nw, AK, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 30 inches a year; September is the wettest month and March the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 163 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Happy Valley
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 Homer Airport.
Living with Happy Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
141 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 10 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 29.
34 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Happy Valley from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (77%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Happy Valley and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Happy Valley in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Happy Valley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Happy Valley, AK | 18° | 61° | 30" | 101" |
| Incline Village, NV | 22° | 73° | 38" | 179" |
| Marquette, MI | 11° | 76° | 32" | 102" |
| North Elba, NY | 4° | 72° | 52" | 104" |
| Waldoboro, ME | 14° | 75° | 49" | 79" |
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 Happy Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Happy Valley’s place among Alaska’s.
Happy Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Homer 8 Nw, AK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 18° | 2.1" | 17.6" | 13 | 30 |
| February | 31° | 20° | 1.9" | 17.2" | 12 | 27 |
| March | 33° | 21° | 1.2" | 13.3" | 10 | 30 |
| April | 42° | 29° | 1.4" | 6.5" | 10 | 22 |
| May | 51° | 36° | 1.2" | 0.6" | 12 | 4 |
| June | 57° | 42° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| July | 61° | 47° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 |
| August | 60° | 46° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 |
| September | 53° | 41° | 4.6" | 0.6" | 18 | 0 |
| October | 42° | 32° | 3.6" | 4.7" | 16 | 5 |
| November | 33° | 23° | 3.2" | 13.7" | 14 | 19 |
| December | 29° | 20° | 3.3" | 26.4" | 16 | 30 |
| Year | 43° | 31° | 29.7" | 100.6" | 163 | 167 |
Where Happy Valley’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: Homer 8 Nw, AK.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Homer Airport, 20 miles from the town’s center, 490 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 Happy Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Happy Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 61°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 101 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 6 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Happy Valley in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 169 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below.
How much snow does Happy Valley get?
About 101 inches in a normal winter at Homer 8 Nw, AK, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 167 days a year.
How hot does it get in Happy Valley?
July, with a typical high of 61°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Homer Airport.
When is the first and last frost in Happy Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 141 frost-free days, at Homer Airport.
What growing zone is Happy Valley in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Happy Valley?
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 Happy Valley.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.