Susitna North has some of the coolest summers among U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 5°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 98% of U.S. towns. August is the wettest month, March the driest. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from June to August, with highs of 65–69°.
A year in Susitna North at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Susitna North’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Susitna North’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Susitna North feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 122 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by September 16. Frost dates and degree days from Talkeetna Airport, 16 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Susitna North’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 27 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and March the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Susitna North
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. 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 Talkeetna Airport.
Living with Susitna North’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
122 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 16 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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Susitna North from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (83%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Susitna North and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Susitna North in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 Susitna North compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Susitna North’s place among Alaska’s.
Susitna North weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 5° | 1.3" |
| February | 28° | 9° | 1.2" |
| March | 35° | 12° | 1.1" |
| April | 47° | 26° | 1.3" |
| May | 59° | 37° | 1.6" |
| June | 67° | 47° | 1.7" |
| July | 69° | 51° | 2.9" |
| August | 65° | 48° | 4.7" |
| September | 56° | 39° | 4.5" |
| October | 42° | 27° | 2.8" |
| November | 28° | 13° | 1.8" |
| December | 23° | 8° | 1.7" |
| Year | 45° | 27° | 26.5" |
Where Susitna North’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 dates, heating and cooling: Talkeetna Airport, 16 miles away.
- 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 Susitna North’s climate
What is the weather like in Susitna North?
A typical July afternoon reaches 69°, a January night drops to 5°. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 68 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Susitna North in winter?
January nights average 5°. About 207 nights a year reach 32° or below and 43 reach 0° or below.
How hot does it get in Susitna North?
July, with a typical high of 69°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Talkeetna Airport.
When is the first and last frost in Susitna North?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 16, about 122 frost-free days, at Talkeetna Airport.
What growing zone is Susitna North in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Susitna North?
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 Susitna North.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.