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Climate in King Salmon · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

King Salmon’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 65°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns#29 coldest of 42 in AK
More snow than 80% of U.S. towns#33Snowiest  of 36 in AK
All AK rankings →

A year in King Salmon at a glance

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

Jan24°10° 9" snow
Feb30°15° 7" snow
Mar32°15° 7" snow
Apr45°28° 4" snow
May55°36° Last frost ~May 26
Jun62°44°
Jul65°49°
Aug63°48°
Sep56°41° First frost ~Sep 15Wettest
Oct44°29°
Nov now32°18° 7" snow
Dec26°11° 10" snow

What stands out about King Salmon’s climate

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

A normal year

What a year in King Salmon feels like

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

Winter
26° / 12°
17 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
44° / 26°
Last frost around May 26
Summer
63° / 47°
90° days are rare
Fall
44° / 29°
First frost around Sep 15
Best months to be outsideJunJulAugHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 111 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 26 and the first by September 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at King Salmon, AK, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

192
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
28th most of 41 in Alaska
More freezing nights than all but 123 U.S. towns
39
nights at or below 0°
18th most of 41 in Alaska
More nights at or below 0° than all but 100 U.S. towns
0
days that reach 90°
None in a normal year
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
4aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 4a

The 2023 USDA map puts King Salmon’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −26°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

28
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 47 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at King Salmon, AK, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 21 inches a year; September is the wettest month and March the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 159 days a year.

21"
Rain + melted snow a year
28th driest of 42 in Alaska
Drier than 89% of U.S. towns
47"
Snow in a normal winter
33rd snowiest of 36 in Alaska
More snow than 80% of U.S. towns
84 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
23rd most of 29 in Alaska
More days with snow on the ground than 92% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

3.4"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

10"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in King Salmon

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

10,385 heating degree daysMore heating than all but 29 U.S. towns
3 cooling degree daysLess cooling than all but 29 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 King Salmon, AK.

Living here

Living with King Salmon’s climate

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

The garden window

111 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 26 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 15.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 52 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in King Salmon from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 37%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door & far away

King Salmon and similar climates

TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around King Salmon yet.

Climates most like King Salmon’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
King Salmon, AK10°65°21"47"
Superior, WI6°76°30"56"
Gladstone, MI11°76°31"47"
Duluth, MN5°76°30"56"
Woodland Park, CO11°77°22"134"

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 King Salmon compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with King Salmon’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 cold10° January low
Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns29th coldest of 42 in Alaska
Precipitation21" a year
Drier than 89% of U.S. towns28th driest of 42 in Alaska
Snow47" a winter
More snow than 80% of U.S. towns33rd snowiest of 36 in Alaska
Hot days0 days at 90°+
None in a normal year
Freezing nights192 a year
More freezing nights than all but 123 U.S. towns28th most of 41 in Alaska
Growing season111 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than all but 62 U.S. towns10th shortest of 40 in Alaska
Month by month

King Salmon weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from King Salmon, AK. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground
January24°10°0.9"8.6"1018
February30°15°0.9"7.2"1016
March32°15°0.8"7.2"913
April45°28°1.0"4.4"114
May55°36°1.4"0.6"120
June62°44°1.8"0.0"140
July65°49°2.5"0.0"160
August63°48°3.3"0.0"170
September56°41°3.4"0.0"180
October44°29°2.3"2.5"152
November32°18°1.7"6.7"1310
December26°11°1.4"10.2"1320
Year44°29°21.4"47.4"15984
Sources

Where King Salmon’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: King Salmon, AK.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: King Salmon, AK, 4 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 King Salmon’s climate

What is the weather like in King Salmon?

A typical July afternoon reaches 65°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 94% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 21 U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in King Salmon in winter?

January nights average 10°. About 192 nights a year reach 32° or below and 39 reach 0° or below.

How much snow does King Salmon get?

About 47 inches in a normal winter at King Salmon, AK, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 84 days a year.

How hot does it get in King Salmon?

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

When is the first and last frost in King Salmon?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 26 and the first fall frost by September 15, about 111 frost-free days, at King Salmon, AK.

What growing zone is King Salmon in?

Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −26°.

What is the best time of year to visit King Salmon?

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 King Salmon.

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.