Meadow Lakes has some of the coolest summers among U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 11°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 56°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 93% of U.S. towns. Long walks are most pleasant from June to August, when afternoons reach 64–67°.
A year in Meadow Lakes at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Meadow Lakes’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Meadow Lakes’ place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Meadow Lakes feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 128 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Anderson Lake, AK, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Meadow Lakes’ center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −24°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 62 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Anderson Lake, AK, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Meadow Lakes
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 Anderson Lake, AK.
Living with Meadow Lakes’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
128 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 16 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 4.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Meadow Lakes from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Meadow Lakes and its neighbors
Knik-Fairview has the coldest January nights next door (7°, 4° colder) and Knik-Fairview the hottest July afternoons (68°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Meadow Lakes’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meadow Lakes, AK | 11° | 67° | 19" | 62" |
| Superior, WI | 6° | 76° | 30" | 56" |
| Gladstone, MI | 11° | 76° | 31" | 47" |
| Duluth, MN | 5° | 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 Meadow Lakes compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Meadow Lakes’ place among Alaska’s.
Meadow Lakes weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Anderson Lake, AK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 11° | 0.7" | 10.9" | 6 |
| February | 29° | 14° | 0.9" | 9.0" | 5 |
| March | 34° | 19° | 0.6" | 8.7" | 6 |
| April | 47° | 29° | 0.4" | 2.3" | 3 |
| May | 58° | 37° | 1.1" | 0.3" | 6 |
| June | 64° | 45° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 8 |
| July | 67° | 50° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 11 |
| August | 64° | 47° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 13 |
| September | 55° | 40° | 2.9" | 0.1" | 12 |
| October | 42° | 29° | 1.8" | 4.4" | 8 |
| November | 30° | 17° | 1.2" | 11.3" | 7 |
| December | 25° | 14° | 1.5" | 15.0" | 8 |
| Year | 45° | 29° | 18.8" | 62.0" | 93 |
Where Meadow Lakes’ 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: Anderson Lake, AK.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Anderson Lake, AK, 9 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 Meadow Lakes’ climate
What is the weather like in Meadow Lakes?
A typical July afternoon reaches 67°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 62 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 42 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Meadow Lakes in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 194 nights a year reach 32° or below and 27 reach 0° or below.
How much snow does Meadow Lakes get?
About 62 inches in a normal winter at Anderson Lake, AK, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Meadow Lakes?
July, with a typical high of 67°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Anderson Lake, AK.
When is the first and last frost in Meadow Lakes?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 128 frost-free days, at Anderson Lake, AK.
What growing zone is Meadow Lakes in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Meadow Lakes?
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 Meadow Lakes.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.