South Van Horn sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 73° on average. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 90° apart. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in almost every U.S. town. For walks and days out, the stretch from June to August brings highs of 66–73°.
A year in South Van Horn at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about South Van Horn’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with South Van Horn’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in South Van Horn feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 121 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by September 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Fairbanks International Airport, 2.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts South Van Horn’s center in zone 2a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −47°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 65 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Fairbanks International Airport, falls mostly in November. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; July is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 107 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in South Van Horn
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Fairbanks International Airport.
Living with South Van Horn’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
121 frost-free days in zone 2a. The last frost comes by May 13 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 5.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in South Van Horn from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (92%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →South Van Horn and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of South Van Horn in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like South Van Horn’s, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Van Horn, AK | −17° | 73° | 12" | 65" |
| International Falls, MN | −5° | 78° | 28" | 73" |
| Grand Forks, ND | −2° | 81° | 22" | 49" |
| Gunnison, CO | 0° | 82° | 12" | 50" |
| Jackson, WY | 6° | 80° | 19" | 78" |
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.
How South Van Horn compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with South Van Horn’s place among Alaska’s.
South Van Horn weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Fairbanks International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1° | −17° | 0.6" | 10.2" | 9 | 31 |
| February | 12° | −11° | 0.5" | 10.0" | 7 | 29 |
| March | 25° | −3° | 0.4" | 6.5" | 6 | 31 |
| April | 46° | 22° | 0.3" | 3.1" | 4 | 22 |
| May | 62° | 39° | 0.5" | 0.9" | 6 | 1 |
| June | 72° | 50° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 |
| July | 73° | 53° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 |
| August | 66° | 48° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 |
| September | 55° | 36° | 1.4" | 2.3" | 11 | 1 |
| October | 34° | 18° | 0.8" | 8.2" | 10 | 15 |
| November | 12° | −4° | 0.7" | 12.5" | 10 | 29 |
| December | 4° | −13° | 0.6" | 10.9" | 9 | 31 |
| Year | 38° | 18° | 11.7" | 64.6" | 107 | 190 |
Where South Van Horn’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).
- Snow: Fairbanks International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Fairbanks International Airport, 2.6 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 South Van Horn’s climate
What is the weather like in South Van Horn?
A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to −17°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 3 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 126 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in South Van Horn in winter?
January nights average −17°. About 222 nights a year reach 32° or below and 114 reach 0° or below.
How much snow does South Van Horn get?
About 65 inches in a normal winter at Fairbanks International Airport, most of it in November, with snow on the ground about 190 days a year.
How hot does it get in South Van Horn?
July, with a typical high of 73°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Fairbanks International Airport.
When is the first and last frost in South Van Horn?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by September 13, about 121 frost-free days, at Fairbanks International Airport.
What growing zone is South Van Horn in?
Zone 2a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −47°.
What is the best time of year to visit South Van Horn?
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 South Van Horn.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.