Sheldon Jackson School · Photo: Jet Lowe · Public domainFew U.S. towns have cooler summers than Sitka
Nights in January average 32°. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than almost every U.S. town. The wettest month is October; the driest is June. Tender plants can go out after about April 12; in half of years the first frost comes by November 1.
A year in Sitka at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sitka’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sitka’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Sitka feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 201 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 12 and the first by November 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sitka Airport, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sitka’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 10°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 85 inches of rain a year
October is the wettest month and June the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Sitka
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 Sitka Airport.
Living with Sitka’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
201 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 12 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 1.
77 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sitka from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (31%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sitka and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sitka yet.
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
How Sitka compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sitka’s place among Alaska’s.
Sitka weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 32° | 8.2" |
| February | 41° | 32° | 5.9" |
| March | 43° | 33° | 5.6" |
| April | 48° | 37° | 4.3" |
| May | 53° | 43° | 3.8" |
| June | 58° | 48° | 2.9" |
| July | 60° | 53° | 4.6" |
| August | 62° | 53° | 7.3" |
| September | 58° | 49° | 11.7" |
| October | 51° | 42° | 11.8" |
| November | 44° | 36° | 9.9" |
| December | 42° | 33° | 8.4" |
| Year | 50° | 41° | 84.5" |
Where Sitka’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: Sitka Airport, 10 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 Sitka’s climate
What is the weather like in Sitka?
A typical July afternoon reaches 60°, a January night drops to 32°. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 5 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sitka in winter?
February nights average 32°. About 70 nights a year reach 32° or below.
How hot does it get in Sitka?
July, with a typical high of 60°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Sitka Airport.
When is the first and last frost in Sitka?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 12 and the first fall frost by November 1, about 201 frost-free days, at Sitka Airport.
What growing zone is Sitka in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sitka?
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 Sitka.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.