Photo: Public domain · Public domainSt. Paul sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
Nights in January average 21°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in October and the lightest in May. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 88% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about June 4; in half of years the first frost comes by September 28.
A year in St. Paul at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about St. Paul’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with St. Paul’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in St. Paul feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 114 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 4 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at St Paul Island Airport, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts St. Paul’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 64 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at St Paul Island Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 24 inches a year; October is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 202 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in St. Paul
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 St Paul Island Airport.
Living with St. Paul’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
114 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Jun 4 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 28.
43 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in St. Paul from natural hazards, tsunamis are the largest share (93%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →St. Paul and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around St. Paul yet.
Climates most like St. Paul’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Paul, AK | 21° | 52° | 24" | 64" |
| Pacific Grove, CA | 44° | 66° | 18" | 0.0" |
| Port Angeles, WA | 37° | 69° | 28" | 0.4" |
| Incline Village, NV | 22° | 73° | 38" | 179" |
| North Elba, NY | 4° | 72° | 52" | 104" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
How St. Paul compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with St. Paul’s place among Alaska’s.
St. Paul weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from St Paul Island Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 21° | 1.6" | 16.5" | 17 | 20 |
| February | 29° | 21° | 1.4" | 11.1" | 16 | 22 |
| March | 30° | 21° | 1.3" | 9.6" | 14 | 23 |
| April | 34° | 26° | 1.0" | 5.3" | 12 | 16 |
| May | 41° | 32° | 1.0" | 0.8" | 12 | 4 |
| June | 48° | 39° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 |
| July | 52° | 44° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 |
| August | 53° | 46° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 |
| September | 50° | 42° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 |
| October | 44° | 35° | 3.3" | 1.6" | 23 | 1 |
| November | 38° | 30° | 3.0" | 7.1" | 23 | 8 |
| December | 33° | 25° | 2.3" | 12.3" | 22 | 15 |
| Year | 40° | 32° | 24.3" | 64.3" | 202 | 109 |
Where St. Paul’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: St Paul Island Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: St Paul Island Airport, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft lower; 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 St. Paul’s climate
What is the weather like in St. Paul?
A typical July afternoon reaches 52°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 64 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 1 U.S. town.
How cold does it get in St. Paul in winter?
March nights average 21°. About 176 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below.
How much snow does St. Paul get?
About 64 inches in a normal winter at St Paul Island Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 109 days a year.
How hot does it get in St. Paul?
July, with a typical high of 52°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at St Paul Island Airport.
When is the first and last frost in St. Paul?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 4 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 114 frost-free days, at St Paul Island Airport.
What growing zone is St. Paul in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit St. Paul?
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 St. Paul.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.