Paxson has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 66°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in almost every U.S. town. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in July and the lightest in February. Homes need heating from August to May, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Paxson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Paxson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Paxson’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Paxson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 76 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 5 and the first by August 24. Frost and day counts come from Glennallen 64 N, AK, 9 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Paxson’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −33°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 19 inches of rain a year
July is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Paxson
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from every month of the year.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Glennallen 64 N, AK.
Living with Paxson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
76 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by Jun 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 Aug 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July. 24 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Paxson from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Paxson and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Paxson yet.
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
How Paxson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Paxson’s place among Alaska’s.
Paxson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7° | −10° | 0.9" |
| February | 15° | −7° | 0.5" |
| March | 22° | −3° | 0.8" |
| April | 37° | 15° | 0.6" |
| May | 51° | 30° | 1.1" |
| June | 63° | 39° | 2.5" |
| July | 66° | 43° | 3.2" |
| August | 60° | 40° | 3.0" |
| September | 51° | 31° | 2.4" |
| October | 33° | 16° | 1.2" |
| November | 15° | −4° | 1.4" |
| December | 11° | −9° | 1.2" |
| Year | 36° | 15° | 18.7" |
Where Paxson’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, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Glennallen 64 N, AK, 9 miles from the town’s center, 650 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 Paxson’s climate
What is the weather like in Paxson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 66°, a January night drops to −10°. Colder January nights than all but 9 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 34 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Paxson in winter?
January nights average −10°. About 252 nights a year reach 32° or below and 99 reach 0° or below.
How hot does it get in Paxson?
July, with a typical high of 66°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Glennallen 64 N, AK.
When is the first and last frost in Paxson?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 5 and the first fall frost by August 24, about 76 frost-free days, at Glennallen 64 N, AK.
What growing zone is Paxson in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −33°.
What is the best time of year to visit Paxson?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), July. 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 Paxson.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.