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N50RA (30957940987)Photo: Jeroen Stroes Aviation Photography from Netherlands · CC BY 2.0
Climate in Tolsona · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Tolsona

Expect July afternoons of about 70°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in almost every U.S. town. Only 84° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. The outdoor season runs from June to August, with highs of 65–70°.

Colder January nights than all but 7 U.S. towns#8 coldest of 42 in AK
Cooler July afternoons than all but 78 U.S. towns#34Coolest summers  of 42 in AK
All AK rankings →
July high
70°
Cooler than all but 78 U.S. towns
34th coolest of 42 in Alaska
January low
−14°
Colder than all but 7 U.S. towns
8th coldest of 42 in Alaska
Rain + melted snow
12"
Drier than 96% of U.S. towns
4th driest of 42 in Alaska
Freezing nights
248
a frost is possible in any month
approximate: Gennallen Kcam, AK, 19 mi away
90° days
<1
Fewer than all but 180 U.S. towns
40th fewest of 41 in Alaska

A year in Tolsona at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan4°-14°
Feb15°-9°
Mar28°-2°
Apr45°19°
May58°31°
Jun67°41° 4 freezing nights
Jul70°46° 1 freezing night
Aug65°42° 4 freezing nightsWettest
Sep55°32°
Oct37°16°
Nov now14°-4°
Dec6°-11°

What stands out about Tolsona’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tolsona’s place in Alaska beside it.

Colder January nights than all but 7 U.S. townsJanuary nights bottom out around −14°, with about 109 nights a year at or below 0°. 8th coldest of 42 in Alaska.Cooler July afternoons than all but 78 U.S. townsJuly afternoons average 70°; 90° days are rare. 34th coolest of 42 in Alaska.Drier than 96% of U.S. townsAbout 12" of rain and melted snow in a normal year; August is the wettest month. 4th driest of 42 in Alaska.Growing zone 3aThe 2023 USDA plant hardiness zone at Tolsona’s center: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −39°.
A normal year

What a year in Tolsona feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
8° / -11°
Snow is rare
Spring
44° / 16°
77 freezing nights
Summer
67° / 43°
9 freezing nights
Fall
35° / 15°
73 freezing nights
Best months to be outsideJunJulAugHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

A freeze is possible in every month

About 248 nights a year fall to 32° or below, and 109 to 0° or below. Frost and day counts come from Gennallen Kcam, AK, 19 miles away.

About these counts. No NOAA weather station near Tolsona passes our checks, so these counts come from Gennallen Kcam, AK, 19 miles away. It sits 760 ft lower than the town, so read its counts as approximate for Tolsona.
No month is frost-free. At Gennallen Kcam, AK, even July averages 1 and August 4 nights at or below 32°, so NOAA publishes no median frost dates. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 61 days.
248
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
2nd most of 41 in Alaska
More freezing nights than all but 7 U.S. towns
109
nights at or below 0°
4th most of 41 in Alaska
More nights at or below 0° than all but 3 U.S. towns
<1
days that reach 90°
40th fewest of 41 in Alaska
Fewer 90° days than all but 180 U.S. towns
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
3aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 3a

The 2023 USDA map puts Tolsona’s center in zone 3a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −39°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

31
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 12 inches of rain a year

August is the wettest month and April the driest.

12"
Rain + melted snow a year
4th driest of 42 in Alaska
Drier than 96% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

1.8"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Tolsona

Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55°: every month but July.

13,813 heating degree daysMore heating than all but 5 U.S. towns
13 cooling degree daysLess cooling than all but 56 U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Gennallen Kcam, AK.

Living here

Living with Tolsona’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

Zone 3a, and frost can come in any month. The longest frost-free stretch in half of years is about 61 days.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Tolsona from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Tolsona and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Tolsona in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Gulkana: January low -12°, July high 69°Tazlina: January low -12°, July high 69°NelchinaGlennallen: January low -12°, July high 69°Mendeltna: January low -15°, July high 69°Tolsona: January low -14°, July high 70°TolsonaGlennallenMendeltna
ColderMilder-15° to -12°
Mendeltna-15.0° about the same
Tolsona-14.4°
Glennallen-11.7° +2.7°

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.

Compared with other towns

How Tolsona compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tolsona’s place among Alaska’s.

Summer heat70° July high
Cooler July afternoons than all but 78 U.S. towns34th coolest of 42 in Alaska
Winter cold−14° January low
Colder January nights than all but 7 U.S. towns8th coldest of 42 in Alaska
Precipitation12" a year
Drier than 96% of U.S. towns4th driest of 42 in Alaska
Hot days<1 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than all but 180 U.S. towns40th fewest of 41 in Alaska
Freezing nights248 a year
More freezing nights than all but 7 U.S. towns2nd most of 41 in Alaska
#34Coolest summers  of 42 in AKAll AK rankings →
Month by month

Tolsona weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + melt
January4°−14°0.7"
February15°−9°0.8"
March28°−2°0.4"
April45°19°0.2"
May58°31°0.7"
June67°41°1.5"
July70°46°1.7"
August65°42°1.8"
September55°32°1.4"
October37°16°0.9"
November14°−4°1.2"
December6°−11°0.8"
Year39°16°12.1"
Sources

Where Tolsona’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: Gennallen Kcam, AK, 19 miles from the town’s center, 760 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
  • 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 Tolsona’s climate

What is the weather like in Tolsona?

A typical July afternoon reaches 70°, a January night drops to −14°. Colder January nights than all but 7 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 78 U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Tolsona in winter?

January nights average −14°. About 248 nights a year reach 32° or below and 109 reach 0° or below.

How hot does it get in Tolsona?

July, with a typical high of 70°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Gennallen Kcam, AK.

When is the first and last frost in Tolsona?

There is no reliable frost-free season: at Gennallen Kcam, AK, every month has nights at 32° or below, about 248 a year. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 61 days.

What growing zone is Tolsona in?

Zone 3a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −39°.

What is the best time of year to visit Tolsona?

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 Tolsona.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.