Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Fairbanks
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 81° on average. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 89% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.8° higher. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in Fairbanks at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fairbanks’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fairbanks’ place in Wisconsin beside it.
What a year in Fairbanks feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 150 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Rosholt 9 Nne, WI, 10 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fairbanks’ center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 44 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Clintonville, WI, is heaviest from January through February, about 11 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 114 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fairbanks
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Rosholt 9 Nne, WI.
Living with Fairbanks’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
150 frost-free days in zone 5a. 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 9.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 40% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fairbanks from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fairbanks and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Fairbanks in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Fairbanks’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fairbanks, WI | 7° | 81° | 33" | 44" |
| Oakdale, MN | 7° | 82° | 33" | 40" |
| Peru, NY | 9° | 80° | 35" | 50" |
| Clear Lake, IA | 7° | 82° | 36" | 44" |
| Colchester, VT | 10° | 81° | 38" | 50" |
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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Fairbanks averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 82% 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 Fairbanks compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fairbanks’ place among Wisconsin’s.
Fairbanks weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fairbanks’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Clintonville, WI. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 7° | 1.2" | 10.8" | 9 | 27 | 4° – 27° |
| February | 29° | 9° | 1.1" | 10.2" | 7 | 27 | 7° – 30° |
| March | 41° | 20° | 1.8" | 6.7" | 8 | 16 | 21° – 45° |
| April | 54° | 31° | 3.1" | 4.1" | 10 | 3 | 33° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 43° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 53° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| July | 81° | 58° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| August | 79° | 56° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 48° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| October | 57° | 36° | 2.9" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| November | 42° | 25° | 1.9" | 2.5" | 8 | 3 | 24° – 42° |
| December | 29° | 14° | 1.5" | 9.6" | 9 | 19 | 9° – 33° |
| Year | 54° | 33° | 32.8" | 44.3" | 114 | 94 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 45°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Fairbanks’ 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 Fairbanks’ center.
- Snow: Clintonville, WI.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Rosholt 9 Nne, WI, 10 miles from the town’s center, 170 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 Fairbanks’ climate
What is the weather like in Fairbanks?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 97% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fairbanks in winter?
January nights average 7°. About 178 nights a year reach 32° or below and 31 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How much snow does Fairbanks get?
About 44 inches in a normal winter at Clintonville, WI, heaviest from January through February, about 11 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 94 days a year.
How hot does it get in Fairbanks?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 58°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Rosholt 9 Nne, WI).
When is the first and last frost in Fairbanks?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 150 frost-free days, at Rosholt 9 Nne, WI.
What growing zone is Fairbanks in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fairbanks?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Fairbanks getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fairbanks.
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.