Willow sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
January mornings start at about 11°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 93% of U.S. towns. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 56°. From June to August, highs of 64–67° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Willow at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Willow’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Willow’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Willow feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 126 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first by September 18. Frost dates and degree days from Willow West, AK, 17 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Willow’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 62 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Anderson Lake, AK, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Willow
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 Willow West, AK.
Living with Willow’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
126 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 15 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 102 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Willow from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (78%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Willow and its neighbors
Susitna North has the coldest January nights next door (5°, 6° colder) and Susitna North the hottest July afternoons (69°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Willow’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Willow, AK | 11° | 67° | 19" | 62" |
| Superior, WI | 6° | 76° | 30" | 56" |
| Gladstone, MI | 11° | 76° | 31" | 47" |
| Duluth, MN | 5° | 76° | 30" | 56" |
| Woodland Park, CO | 11° | 77° | 22" | 134" |
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 Willow compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Willow’s place among Alaska’s.
Willow weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Anderson Lake, AK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 11° | 0.7" | 10.9" | 6 |
| February | 29° | 14° | 0.9" | 9.0" | 5 |
| March | 34° | 19° | 0.6" | 8.7" | 6 |
| April | 47° | 29° | 0.4" | 2.3" | 3 |
| May | 58° | 37° | 1.1" | 0.3" | 6 |
| June | 64° | 45° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 8 |
| July | 67° | 50° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 11 |
| August | 64° | 47° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 13 |
| September | 55° | 40° | 2.9" | 0.1" | 12 |
| October | 42° | 29° | 1.8" | 4.4" | 8 |
| November | 30° | 17° | 1.2" | 11.3" | 7 |
| December | 25° | 14° | 1.5" | 15.0" | 8 |
| Year | 45° | 29° | 18.8" | 62.0" | 93 |
Where Willow’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: Anderson Lake, AK.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Willow West, AK, 17 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 Willow’s climate
What is the weather like in Willow?
A typical July afternoon reaches 67°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 62 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 42 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Willow in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 219 nights a year reach 32° or below and 67 reach 0° or below.
How much snow does Willow get?
About 62 inches in a normal winter at Anderson Lake, AK, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Willow?
July, with a typical high of 67°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Willow West, AK.
When is the first and last frost in Willow?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by September 18, about 126 frost-free days, at Willow West, AK.
What growing zone is Willow in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Willow?
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 Willow.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.