Photo: Beeblebrox · CC BY-SA 3.0Kachemak gets about 84 inches of snow a winter, more than 96% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 63°. Rain follows the seasons: September brings about 4.2 times as much as May. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than almost every U.S. town. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 10 to September 29.
A year in Kachemak at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kachemak’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kachemak’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Kachemak 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, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 160 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kachemak’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 84 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Homer 9 E, AK, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 24 inches a year; September is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 139 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Kachemak
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from September through June.
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 Kachemak’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
141 frost-free days in zone 6a. 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.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kachemak from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (78%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kachemak and its neighbors
Fritz Creek has the coldest January nights next door (17°, 3° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Kachemak’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kachemak, AK | 19° | 63° | 24" | 84" |
| Marquette, MI | 11° | 76° | 32" | 102" |
| Incline Village, NV | 22° | 73° | 38" | 179" |
| Superior, WI | 6° | 76° | 30" | 56" |
| Woodland Park, CO | 11° | 77° | 22" | 134" |
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 Kachemak compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kachemak’s place among Alaska’s.
Kachemak weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Homer 9 E, AK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 19° | 2.2" | 17.6" | 11 |
| February | 35° | 22° | 1.8" | 14.2" | 11 |
| March | 37° | 23° | 1.3" | 12.4" | 10 |
| April | 46° | 31° | 1.2" | 3.3" | 8 |
| May | 54° | 38° | 0.8" | 0.2" | 8 |
| June | 59° | 45° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 9 |
| July | 63° | 49° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 12 |
| August | 63° | 48° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 13 |
| September | 57° | 42° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 16 |
| October | 47° | 33° | 2.6" | 3.2" | 14 |
| November | 38° | 25° | 2.9" | 10.4" | 13 |
| December | 34° | 21° | 3.3" | 22.4" | 14 |
| Year | 47° | 33° | 23.9" | 83.7" | 139 |
Where Kachemak’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 9 E, AK.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Homer Airport, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 160 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 Kachemak’s climate
What is the weather like in Kachemak?
A typical July afternoon reaches 63°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 84 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 10 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kachemak in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 169 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below.
How much snow does Kachemak get?
About 84 inches in a normal winter at Homer 9 E, AK, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Kachemak?
July, with a typical high of 63°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Homer Airport.
When is the first and last frost in Kachemak?
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 Kachemak in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Kachemak?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), 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 Kachemak.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.