Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary · Photo: Burntorange72 at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns see fresher July days than Kenai
On a normal January night the air cools to about 7°. Its January nights bite harder than in 96% of U.S. towns. September is the wettest month here, with about 6.2 times the rain of April. Radiators earn their keep from September to May, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Kenai at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kenai’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kenai’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Kenai feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 110 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by September 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Kenai Muni Airport, 1.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kenai’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 18 inches of rain a year
September is the wettest month and April the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Kenai
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 Kenai Muni Airport.
Living with Kenai’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
110 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 24 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August. 3.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kenai from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (94%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kenai and its neighbors
Kalifornsky has the coldest January nights next door (5°, 3° colder) and Kalifornsky the hottest July afternoons (66°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Kenai compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kenai’s place among Alaska’s.
Kenai weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 7° | 0.9" |
| February | 28° | 12° | 0.8" |
| March | 33° | 14° | 0.6" |
| April | 44° | 28° | 0.6" |
| May | 55° | 36° | 0.8" |
| June | 60° | 44° | 1.2" |
| July | 63° | 49° | 2.0" |
| August | 63° | 47° | 2.7" |
| September | 56° | 40° | 3.6" |
| October | 43° | 29° | 2.6" |
| November | 30° | 16° | 1.4" |
| December | 25° | 11° | 1.1" |
| Year | 44° | 28° | 18.3" |
Where Kenai’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: Kenai Muni Airport, 1.6 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 Kenai’s climate
What is the weather like in Kenai?
A typical July afternoon reaches 63°, a January night drops to 7°. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 12 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kenai in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 197 nights a year reach 32° or below and 37 reach 0° or below.
How hot does it get in Kenai?
July, with a typical high of 63°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Kenai Muni Airport.
When is the first and last frost in Kenai?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by September 12, about 110 frost-free days, at Kenai Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Kenai in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Kenai?
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 Kenai.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.