Photo: Joseph from Cabin On The Road, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0Valdez gets about 325 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 0 U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 64°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in almost every U.S. town. Precipitation peaks in September and eases off in June. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from June to August, with highs of 62–64°.
A year in Valdez at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Valdez’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Valdez’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Valdez feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 157 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Valdez Wso, AK, 1.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Valdez’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 325 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Valdez Wso, AK, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 68 inches a year; September is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 198 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Valdez
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55°: every month but July.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Valdez Wso, AK.
Living with Valdez’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
157 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 38 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Valdez and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Valdez yet.
Climates most like Valdez’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valdez, AK | 19° | 64° | 68" | 325" |
| Incline Village, NV | 22° | 73° | 38" | 179" |
| North Elba, NY | 4° | 72° | 52" | 104" |
| Stowe, VT | 7° | 78° | 45" | 139" |
| 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 Valdez compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Valdez’s place among Alaska’s.
Valdez weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Valdez Wso, AK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 19° | 6.6" | 66.6" | 16 | 31 |
| February | 32° | 21° | 5.9" | 63.4" | 15 | 29 |
| March | 37° | 23° | 4.1" | 45.8" | 14 | 31 |
| April | 46° | 32° | 3.4" | 22.3" | 14 | 27 |
| May | 56° | 40° | 3.0" | 3.4" | 15 | 4 |
| June | 63° | 46° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 |
| July | 64° | 49° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 |
| August | 62° | 47° | 7.0" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 |
| September | 55° | 42° | 9.8" | 0.7" | 21 | 0 |
| October | 45° | 34° | 8.0" | 9.1" | 19 | 3 |
| November | 34° | 25° | 6.1" | 43.5" | 16 | 23 |
| December | 31° | 22° | 7.7" | 70.5" | 17 | 30 |
| Year | 46° | 33° | 67.9" | 325.3" | 198 | 178 |
Where Valdez’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: Valdez Wso, AK (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Valdez Wso, AK, 1.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Valdez’s climate
What is the weather like in Valdez?
A typical July afternoon reaches 64°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 325 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 18 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Valdez in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 174 nights a year reach 32° or below.
How much snow does Valdez get?
About 325 inches in a normal winter at Valdez Wso, AK, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 178 days a year.
How hot does it get in Valdez?
July, with a typical high of 64°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Valdez Wso, AK.
When is the first and last frost in Valdez?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 30 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 157 frost-free days, at Valdez Wso, AK.
What growing zone is Valdez in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Valdez?
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 Valdez.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.