Hardly any U.S. towns collect more precipitation than Thorne Bay: 85 inches a year
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 28°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in October and the lightest in May. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in almost every U.S. town. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 1 to October 13.
A year in Thorne Bay at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Thorne Bay’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Thorne Bay’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Thorne Bay feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 166 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 1 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Thorne Bay, AK, 1.7 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Thorne Bay’s center in zone 7b: 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 May the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Thorne Bay
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 Thorne Bay, AK.
Living with Thorne Bay’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
166 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by May 1 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 7.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Thorne Bay from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Thorne Bay and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Thorne Bay yet.
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
How Thorne Bay compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Thorne Bay’s place among Alaska’s.
Thorne Bay weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 28° | 8.2" |
| February | 40° | 28° | 5.5" |
| March | 43° | 30° | 6.3" |
| April | 50° | 34° | 5.1" |
| May | 57° | 40° | 3.5" |
| June | 63° | 46° | 4.1" |
| July | 66° | 51° | 5.3" |
| August | 65° | 50° | 7.0" |
| September | 59° | 45° | 8.6" |
| October | 51° | 38° | 12.1" |
| November | 42° | 32° | 10.5" |
| December | 38° | 30° | 9.1" |
| Year | 51° | 38° | 85.2" |
Where Thorne Bay’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: Thorne Bay, AK, 1.7 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft higher; 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 Thorne Bay’s climate
What is the weather like in Thorne Bay?
A typical July afternoon reaches 66°, a January night drops to 28°. Milder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 24 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Thorne Bay in winter?
January nights average 28°. About 118 nights a year reach 32° or below.
How hot does it get in Thorne Bay?
July, with a typical high of 66°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Thorne Bay, AK.
When is the first and last frost in Thorne Bay?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 1 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 166 frost-free days, at Thorne Bay, AK.
What growing zone is Thorne Bay in?
Zone 7b 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 Thorne Bay?
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 Thorne Bay.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.