Sts. Sergius and Herman of Valaam Church · Photo: Jet Lowe · Public domainNanwalek sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
Midwinter brings lows of about 21°. The wettest month is December; the driest is May. Garden planting can start around May 10; autumn frost returns near October 1.
A year in Nanwalek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Nanwalek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Nanwalek’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Nanwalek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 145 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by October 1. Frost dates and degree days from Seldovia Airport, 12 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Nanwalek’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 40 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and May the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Nanwalek
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 Seldovia Airport.
Living with Nanwalek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
145 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 10 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 1.
2.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Nanwalek from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (85%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Nanwalek and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Nanwalek yet.
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
How Nanwalek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Nanwalek’s place among Alaska’s.
Nanwalek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 21° | 3.9" |
| February | 34° | 23° | 3.7" |
| March | 36° | 24° | 3.2" |
| April | 43° | 31° | 2.8" |
| May | 51° | 37° | 1.2" |
| June | 58° | 44° | 1.2" |
| July | 62° | 49° | 1.6" |
| August | 62° | 48° | 2.7" |
| September | 55° | 42° | 4.1" |
| October | 45° | 34° | 4.6" |
| November | 36° | 27° | 4.8" |
| December | 33° | 24° | 6.7" |
| Year | 45° | 34° | 40.4" |
Where Nanwalek’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).
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Seldovia Airport, 12 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 Nanwalek’s climate
What is the weather like in Nanwalek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 62°, a January night drops to 21°. Colder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 7 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Nanwalek in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 167 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below.
How hot does it get in Nanwalek?
July, with a typical high of 62°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Seldovia Airport.
When is the first and last frost in Nanwalek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 145 frost-free days, at Seldovia Airport.
What growing zone is Nanwalek in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Nanwalek?
No month meets the simple rule we use (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more). 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 Nanwalek.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.