Photo: Wanetta Ayers · Public domainUnalaska gets about 82 inches of snow a winter, more than 95% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 57°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 82 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Unalaska at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Unalaska’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Unalaska’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Unalaska feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 164 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from Dutch Harbor, AK, 0.8 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Unalaska’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 11°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 82 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Dutch Harbor, AK, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 60 inches a year; October is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 231 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Unalaska
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 Dutch Harbor, AK.
Living with Unalaska’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
164 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by May 6 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 18.
24 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Unalaska from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (38%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Unalaska and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Unalaska yet.
Climates most like Unalaska’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unalaska, AK | 29° | 57° | 60" | 82" |
| Coos Bay, OR | 40° | 66° | 61" | 0.2" |
| North Elba, NY | 4° | 72° | 52" | 104" |
| Crescent City, CA | 42° | 64° | 69" | 0.0" |
| Waldoboro, ME | 14° | 75° | 49" | 79" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
How Unalaska compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Unalaska’s place among Alaska’s.
Unalaska weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Dutch Harbor, AK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 29° | 6.8" | 22.0" | 22 | 17 |
| February | 39° | 29° | 5.2" | 14.2" | 19 | 14 |
| March | 39° | 29° | 4.7" | 16.5" | 19 | 14 |
| April | 42° | 33° | 3.5" | 6.3" | 18 | 7 |
| May | 47° | 37° | 4.2" | 0.2" | 18 | 0 |
| June | 52° | 42° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 |
| July | 57° | 47° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 |
| August | 59° | 48° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 |
| September | 55° | 44° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 |
| October | 48° | 38° | 7.9" | 0.4" | 25 | 0 |
| November | 43° | 33° | 6.7" | 6.2" | 23 | 5 |
| December | 39° | 31° | 7.9" | 15.8" | 23 | 13 |
| Year | 46° | 37° | 60.1" | 81.6" | 231 | 70 |
Where Unalaska’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: Dutch Harbor, AK (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Dutch Harbor, AK, 0.8 miles from the town’s center, 590 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 Unalaska’s climate
What is the weather like in Unalaska?
A typical July afternoon reaches 57°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 82 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 1 U.S. town.
How cold does it get in Unalaska in winter?
January nights average 29°. About 112 nights a year reach 32° or below.
How much snow does Unalaska get?
About 82 inches in a normal winter at Dutch Harbor, AK, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 70 days a year.
How hot does it get in Unalaska?
July, with a typical high of 57°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Dutch Harbor, AK.
When is the first and last frost in Unalaska?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 164 frost-free days, at Dutch Harbor, AK.
What growing zone is Unalaska in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Unalaska?
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 Unalaska.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.