Photo: Beeblebrox 06:31, 23 August 2009 (UTC) · CC BY-SA 3.0Moose Pass gets about 90 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 66°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 90 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Moose Pass at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Moose Pass’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Moose Pass’ place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Moose Pass feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 99 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 31 and the first by September 8. Frost and day counts come from Moose Pass 3nw, AK, 1.4 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Moose Pass’ center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 90 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Seward 19n, AK, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 42 inches a year; September is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 178 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Moose Pass
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 Moose Pass 3nw, AK.
Living with Moose Pass’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
99 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 31 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 8.
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 Moose Pass from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (88%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Moose Pass and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Moose Pass yet.
Climates most like Moose Pass’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moose Pass, AK | 9° | 66° | 42" | 90" |
| North Elba, NY | 4° | 72° | 52" | 104" |
| Waldoboro, ME | 14° | 75° | 49" | 79" |
| Sault Ste. Marie, MI | 8° | 76° | 37" | 120" |
| Berlin, NH | 5° | 77° | 45" | 82" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
How Moose Pass compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Moose Pass’ place among Alaska’s.
Moose Pass weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Seward 19n, AK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 9° | 3.5" | 17.2" | 13 | 31 |
| February | 29° | 13° | 5.3" | 15.7" | 13 | 28 |
| March | 35° | 14° | 2.2" | 12.3" | 11 | 31 |
| April | 45° | 27° | 2.3" | 3.9" | 12 | 29 |
| May | 55° | 34° | 2.1" | 0.3" | 14 | 12 |
| June | 63° | 42° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 |
| July | 66° | 47° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 |
| August | 64° | 45° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 |
| September | 55° | 38° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 |
| October | 42° | 27° | 5.4" | 1.7" | 18 | 3 |
| November | 30° | 17° | 4.2" | 11.8" | 14 | 21 |
| December | 27° | 12° | 3.4" | 27.2" | 15 | 29 |
| Year | 44° | 27° | 42.2" | 90.1" | 178 | 184 |
Where Moose Pass’ 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: Seward 19n, AK.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Moose Pass 3nw, AK, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, 880 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 Moose Pass’ climate
What is the weather like in Moose Pass?
A typical July afternoon reaches 66°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 90 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 29 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Moose Pass in winter?
January nights average 9°. About 197 nights a year reach 32° or below and 33 reach 0° or below.
How much snow does Moose Pass get?
About 90 inches in a normal winter at Seward 19n, AK, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 184 days a year.
How hot does it get in Moose Pass?
July, with a typical high of 66°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Moose Pass 3nw, AK.
When is the first and last frost in Moose Pass?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 31 and the first fall frost by September 8, about 99 frost-free days, at Moose Pass 3nw, AK.
What growing zone is Moose Pass in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Moose Pass?
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 Moose Pass.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.