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210714 Kodiak from Pillar MountainPhoto: James Brooks · CC BY 2.0
Climate in Kodiak · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Kodiak sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat

Midwinter brings lows of about 26°. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on almost every U.S. town. Only 37° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Garden planting can start around May 5; autumn frost returns near October 3.

More snow than 93% of U.S. towns#11Snowiest  of 35 in AK
Milder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns#7Mildest winters  of 41 in AK
All AK rankings →

A year in Kodiak at a glance

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

Jan36°26° 15" snow
Feb38°27° 14" snow
Mar39°28° 12" snow
Apr45°34° 6" snow
May52°40° Last frost ~May 5
Jun57°46°
Jul62°51°
Aug63°50°
Sep57°44°
Oct48°36° First frost ~Oct 3Wettest
Nov now41°30° 6" snow
Dec37°27° 16" snow

What stands out about Kodiak’s climate

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

A normal year

What a year in Kodiak feels like

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

Winter
37° / 27°
19 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
45° / 34°
Last frost around May 5
Summer
61° / 49°
90° days are rare
Fall
49° / 37°
First frost around Oct 3
Best months to be outsideAugHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 151 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from Kodiak Airport, 4 miles away.

About these counts. No NOAA weather station near Kodiak passes our checks, so these counts come from Kodiak Airport, 4 miles away. It sits 750 ft lower than the town, so read its counts as approximate for Kodiak.
133
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
35th most of 40 in Alaska
More freezing nights than 70% of U.S. towns
<1
nights at or below 0°
5th fewest of 40 in Alaska
Fewer nights at or below 0° than 60% of U.S. towns
0
days that reach 90°
None in a normal year
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
7aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 7a

The 2023 USDA map puts Kodiak’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

23
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 70 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Kodiak Airport, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 78 inches a year; October is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 204 days a year.

78"
Rain + melted snow a year
5th wettest of 41 in Alaska
Wetter than all but 23 U.S. towns
70"
Snow in a normal winter
11th snowiest of 35 in Alaska
More snow than 93% of U.S. towns
47 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
27th most of 28 in Alaska
More days with snow on the ground than 72% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

8.9"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

16"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Kodiak

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

8,316 heating degree daysMore heating than 98% of U.S. towns
7 cooling degree daysLess cooling than all but 43 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 Kodiak Airport.

Living here

Living with Kodiak’s climate

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

The garden window

151 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 5 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 3.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: August. 5.0 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kodiak from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (54%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door & far away

Kodiak and similar climates

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

Climates most like Kodiak’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
Kodiak, AK26°62°78"70"
Florence, OR40°66°73"0.6"
Hoquiam, WA37°68°81"0.5"
Crescent City, CA42°64°69"0.0"
North Elba, NY4°72°52"104"

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 Kodiak compares

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

Summer heat62° July high
Cooler July afternoons than all but 7 U.S. towns8th coolest of 41 in Alaska
Winter cold26° January low
Milder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns7th mildest of 41 in Alaska
Precipitation78" a year
Wetter than all but 23 U.S. towns5th wettest of 41 in Alaska
Snow70" a winter
More snow than 93% of U.S. towns11th snowiest of 35 in Alaska
Hot days0 days at 90°+
None in a normal year
Freezing nights133 a year
More freezing nights than 70% of U.S. towns35th most of 40 in Alaska
Growing season151 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 91% of U.S. towns31st shortest of 39 in Alaska
Month by month

Kodiak weather by month

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

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground
January36°26°8.4"14.5"1911
February38°27°6.3"14.4"1710
March39°28°4.8"12.3"169
April45°34°6.1"6.2"182
May52°40°5.9"0.5"170
June57°46°5.2"0.0"160
July62°51°4.5"0.0"150
August63°50°4.9"0.0"150
September57°44°7.6"0.0"170
October48°36°8.9"0.7"180
November41°30°7.1"6.1"174
December37°27°8.8"15.6"2011
Year48°36°78.3"70.3"20447
Sources

Where Kodiak’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: Kodiak Airport.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kodiak Airport, 4 miles from the town’s center, 750 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
  • 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 Kodiak’s climate

What is the weather like in Kodiak?

A typical July afternoon reaches 62°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 70 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 7 U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Kodiak in winter?

January nights average 26°. About 133 nights a year reach 32° or below.

How much snow does Kodiak get?

About 70 inches in a normal winter at Kodiak Airport, most of it in January, February and December, with snow on the ground about 47 days a year.

How hot does it get in Kodiak?

July, with a typical high of 62°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Kodiak Airport.

When is the first and last frost in Kodiak?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 151 frost-free days, at Kodiak Airport.

What growing zone is Kodiak in?

Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.

What is the best time of year to visit Kodiak?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), 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 Kodiak.

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.