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Climate in Salamatof · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

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

Midwinter brings lows of about 7°. In January, nights here are colder than in 96% of U.S. towns. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 56°. The outdoor season, with highs of 63°, runs through July and August.

Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns#22 coldest of 42 in AK
Cooler July afternoons than all but 12 U.S. towns#12Coolest summers  of 42 in AK
All AK rankings →

A year in Salamatof at a glance

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

Jan22°7°
Feb28°12°
Mar33°14°
Apr44°28°
May55°36° Last frost ~May 24
Jun60°44°
Jul63°49°
Aug63°47°
Sep56°40° First frost ~Sep 12Wettest
Oct43°29°
Nov now30°16°
Dec25°11°

What stands out about Salamatof’s climate

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

A normal year

What a year in Salamatof feels like

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

Winter
25° / 10°
Snow is rare
Spring
44° / 26°
Last frost around May 24
Summer
62° / 47°
90° days are rare
Fall
43° / 28°
First frost around Sep 12
Best months to be outsideJulAugHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 110 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by September 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Kenai Muni Airport, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

197
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
20th most of 41 in Alaska
More freezing nights than all but 98 U.S. towns
37
nights at or below 0°
18th most of 41 in Alaska
More nights at or below 0° than all but 131 U.S. towns
0
days that reach 90°
None in a normal year
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
5aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 5a

The 2023 USDA map puts Salamatof’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

30
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 18 inches of rain a year

September is the wettest month and April the driest.

18"
Rain + melted snow a year
22nd driest of 42 in Alaska
Drier than 90% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

3.6"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Salamatof

Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55°: every month but July.

10,693 heating degree daysMore heating than all but 25 U.S. towns
1 cooling degree daysLess cooling than all but 6 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 Kenai Muni Airport.

Living here

Living with Salamatof’s climate

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

The garden window

110 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 24 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 12.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Salamatof from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (51%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Salamatof and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Salamatof in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Point Possession: January low 3°, July high 67°Kalifornsky: January low 5°, July high 66°Ridgeway: January low 7°, July high 63°Nikiski: January low 7°, July high 63°Kenai: January low 7°, July high 63°Salamatof: January low 7°, July high 63°SalamatofNikiskiKenai
ColderMilder3° to 7°
Salamatof7.4°
Nikiski7.4° about the same
Kenai7.4° about the same

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.

Compared with other towns

How Salamatof compares

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

Summer heat63° July high
Cooler July afternoons than all but 12 U.S. towns12th coolest of 42 in Alaska
Winter cold7° January low
Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns22nd coldest of 42 in Alaska
Precipitation18" a year
Drier than 90% of U.S. towns22nd driest of 42 in Alaska
Hot days0 days at 90°+
None in a normal year
Freezing nights197 a year
More freezing nights than all but 98 U.S. towns20th most of 41 in Alaska
Growing season110 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than all but 58 U.S. towns7th shortest of 40 in Alaska
Month by month

Salamatof weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + melt
January22°7°0.9"
February28°12°0.8"
March33°14°0.6"
April44°28°0.6"
May55°36°0.8"
June60°44°1.2"
July63°49°2.0"
August63°47°2.7"
September56°40°3.6"
October43°29°2.6"
November30°16°1.4"
December25°11°1.1"
Year44°28°18.3"
Sources

Where Salamatof’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: Kenai Muni Airport, 3 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 Salamatof’s climate

What is the weather like in Salamatof?

A typical July afternoon reaches 63°, a January night drops to 7°. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 12 U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Salamatof in winter?

January nights average 7°. About 197 nights a year reach 32° or below and 37 reach 0° or below.

How hot does it get in Salamatof?

July, with a typical high of 63°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Kenai Muni Airport.

When is the first and last frost in Salamatof?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by September 12, about 110 frost-free days, at Kenai Muni Airport.

What growing zone is Salamatof in?

Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.

What is the best time of year to visit Salamatof?

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

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.