Knik River sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 7°. Its January nights bite harder than in 97% of U.S. towns. Temperatures cover 61° across the year, low to high. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from June to August, with highs of 65–68°.
A year in Knik River at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Knik River’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Knik River’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Knik River feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 127 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by September 20. Frost dates and degree days from Matanuska Exp Farm, AK, 11 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Knik River’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 50 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Matanuska Exp Farm, AK, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 103 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Knik River
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from September through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Matanuska Exp Farm, AK.
Living with Knik River’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
127 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 14 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 62 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Knik River from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (74%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Knik River and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Knik River in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Knik River’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knik River, AK | 7° | 68° | 14" | 50" |
| Superior, WI | 6° | 76° | 30" | 56" |
| Gladstone, MI | 11° | 76° | 31" | 47" |
| Duluth, MN | 5° | 76° | 30" | 56" |
| Jackson, WY | 6° | 80° | 19" | 78" |
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 Knik River compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Knik River’s place among Alaska’s.
Knik River weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Matanuska Exp Farm, AK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 7° | 0.8" | 9.2" | 7 | 25 |
| February | 29° | 12° | 0.8" | 9.0" | 6 | 24 |
| March | 34° | 16° | 0.5" | 7.6" | 6 | 21 |
| April | 48° | 29° | 0.4" | 1.4" | 4 | 3 |
| May | 59° | 38° | 0.7" | 0.5" | 6 | 0 |
| June | 66° | 46° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 |
| July | 68° | 51° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 |
| August | 65° | 48° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 |
| September | 57° | 40° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 |
| October | 43° | 27° | 1.4" | 3.8" | 9 | 6 |
| November | 29° | 14° | 0.8" | 8.1" | 7 | 16 |
| December | 25° | 10° | 1.0" | 9.9" | 9 | 24 |
| Year | 45° | 28° | 14.4" | 49.5" | 103 | 118 |
Where Knik River’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: Matanuska Exp Farm, AK.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Matanuska Exp Farm, AK, 11 miles away.
- 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 Knik River’s climate
What is the weather like in Knik River?
A typical July afternoon reaches 68°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 58 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Knik River in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 195 nights a year reach 32° or below and 37 reach 0° or below.
How much snow does Knik River get?
About 50 inches in a normal winter at Matanuska Exp Farm, AK, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 118 days a year.
How hot does it get in Knik River?
July, with a typical high of 68°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Matanuska Exp Farm, AK.
When is the first and last frost in Knik River?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by September 20, about 127 frost-free days, at Matanuska Exp Farm, AK.
What growing zone is Knik River 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 Knik River?
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 Knik River.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.