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Climate in Iliamna · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Iliamna’s winters are colder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 65°

A typical July afternoon reaches 65°, a January night drops to 12°.

Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns#32 coldest of 42 in AK
Cooler July afternoons than all but 21 U.S. towns#17Coolest summers  of 42 in AK
All AK rankings →

A year in Iliamna at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan25°12°
Feb30°16°
Mar32°16°
Apr43°29°
May55°38° Last frost ~May 10
Jun62°45°
Jul65°51°
Aug64°50°
Sep56°43° Wettest
Oct45°32° First frost ~Oct 1
Nov now33°21°
Dec28°15°

What stands out about Iliamna’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Iliamna’s place in Alaska beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Iliamna feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
28° / 15°
Snow is rare
Spring
43° / 27°
Last frost around May 10
Summer
63° / 49°
90° days are rare
Fall
45° / 32°
First frost around Oct 1
Best months to be outsideJunJulAugHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 144 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Iliamna Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft lower.

170
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
33rd most of 41 in Alaska
More freezing nights than 95% of U.S. towns
32
nights at or below 0°
24th most of 41 in Alaska
More nights at or below 0° than 98% of U.S. towns
0
days that reach 90°
None in a normal year
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
4bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 4b

The 2023 USDA map puts Iliamna’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −22°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

27
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 25 inches of rain a year

September is the wettest month and April the driest.

25"
Rain + melted snow a year
33rd driest of 42 in Alaska
Drier than 87% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

5.0"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Iliamna

Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from September through June.

9,940 heating degree daysMore heating than all but 40 U.S. towns
8 cooling degree daysLess cooling than all but 46 U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Iliamna Airport.

Living here

Living with Iliamna’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

144 frost-free days in zone 4b. 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 Oct 1.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 6.2 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Iliamna from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door & far away

Iliamna and similar climates

TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Iliamna yet.

Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.

Compared with other towns

How Iliamna compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Iliamna’s place among Alaska’s.

Summer heat65° July high
Cooler July afternoons than all but 21 U.S. towns17th coolest of 42 in Alaska
Winter cold12° January low
Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns32nd coldest of 42 in Alaska
Precipitation25" a year
Drier than 87% of U.S. towns33rd driest of 42 in Alaska
Hot days0 days at 90°+
None in a normal year
Freezing nights170 a year
More freezing nights than 95% of U.S. towns33rd most of 41 in Alaska
Growing season144 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 95% of U.S. towns31st shortest of 40 in Alaska
Month by month

Iliamna weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + melt
January25°12°0.9"
February30°16°1.1"
March32°16°0.8"
April43°29°0.8"
May55°38°1.2"
June62°45°1.5"
July65°51°3.1"
August64°50°4.1"
September56°43°5.0"
October45°32°2.8"
November33°21°2.2"
December28°15°1.5"
Year45°31°25.0"
Sources

Where Iliamna’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).
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Iliamna Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, 200 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 Iliamna’s climate

What is the weather like in Iliamna?

A typical July afternoon reaches 65°, a January night drops to 12°. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 21 U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Iliamna in winter?

January nights average 12°. About 170 nights a year reach 32° or below and 32 reach 0° or below.

How hot does it get in Iliamna?

July, with a typical high of 65°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Iliamna Airport.

When is the first and last frost in Iliamna?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 144 frost-free days, at Iliamna Airport.

What growing zone is Iliamna in?

Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −22°.

What is the best time of year to visit Iliamna?

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 Iliamna.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.