Photo: Brandonrush · CC BY-SA 4.0Weather without surprises: Alpena keeps close to the norm for U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 89°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 72% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.6° rise. Tender plants can go out after about April 3; in half of years the first frost comes by October 30.
A year in Alpena at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Alpena’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Alpena’s place in Arkansas beside it.
What a year in Alpena feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 210 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 3 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Harrison Boone Co Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Alpena’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 5°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 7 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Omaha 2s., AR, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 68 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Alpena
72% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Harrison Boone Co Airport.
Living with Alpena’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
210 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 3 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Alpena from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 30%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Alpena and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Alpena yet.
Climates most like Alpena’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpena, AR | 26° | 89° | 46" | 6.8" |
| Salisbury, MD | 27° | 89° | 46" | 8.0" |
| Jackson, MO | 25° | 89° | 48" | 7.5" |
| Mount Vernon, IN | 25° | 88° | 47" | 8.4" |
| Harrisburg, IL | 25° | 88° | 48" | 7.2" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Alpena averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+1.3°).
A smaller shift than in 97% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Alpena compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Alpena’s place among Arkansas’.
Alpena weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Alpena’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Omaha 2s., AR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 26° | 2.9" | 2.5" | 4 | 1 | 31° – 45° |
| February | 51° | 29° | 2.6" | 1.5" | 4 | 1 | 31° – 49° |
| March | 60° | 36° | 4.2" | 1.7" | 6 | 1 | 41° – 59° |
| April | 69° | 45° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| May | 77° | 54° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| June | 85° | 63° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| July | 89° | 67° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 73° – 84° |
| August | 88° | 65° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 70° – 81° |
| September | 81° | 57° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| October | 71° | 46° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| November | 58° | 36° | 4.1" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 41° – 55° |
| December | 49° | 28° | 3.1" | 0.9" | 5 | 1 | 26° – 45° |
| Year | 69° | 46° | 46.4" | 6.8" | 68 | 3 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 45°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Alpena’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Alpena’s center.
- Snow: Omaha 2s., AR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Harrison Boone Co Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, 110 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.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Alpena’s climate
What is the weather like in Alpena?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Alpena in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 76 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does Alpena get?
About 6.8 inches in a normal winter at Omaha 2s., AR, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Alpena?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 67°. About 41 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Harrison Boone Co Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Alpena?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 3 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 210 frost-free days, at Harrison Boone Co Airport.
What growing zone is Alpena in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Alpena?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Alpena getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Alpena.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.