Big Lake, AK climate
Big Lake has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 66°, a January night drops to 8°, and about 59 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Big Lake feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Big Lake weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 8° | 0.6" | 9.8" | 6 |
| February | 28° | 12° | 0.9" | 10.3" | 7 |
| March | 33° | 15° | 0.7" | 10.7" | 6 |
| April | 46° | 28° | 0.4" | 1.5" | 3 |
| May | 57° | 38° | 0.7" | 0.4" | 6 |
| June | 64° | 46° | 1.1" | 0 | 8 |
| July | 66° | 50° | 2.0" | 0 | 12 |
| August | 64° | 48° | 2.5" | 0 | 14 |
| September | 55° | 40° | 2.7" | 0.1" | 14 |
| October | 42° | 28° | 1.7" | 4.4" | 11 |
| November | 28° | 15° | 1.2" | 9.0" | 8 |
| December | 24° | 11° | 1.4" | 13.2" | 8 |
| Year | 44° | 28° | 15.7" | 59.4" | 102 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more.
Rain and snow in Big Lake
Big Lake gets 16 inches of rain and melted snow a year. September is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 102 days a year.
About 100 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 29 and the first one by September 7. That leaves about 100 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 99% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Big Lake
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Big Lake, 100% of that work is heating and 0% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Big Lake and its neighbors
Big Lake borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 4.3°. Knik-Fairview has both the coldest January nights (7°) and the hottest July afternoons (68°). Big Lake’s January low is 8° and its July high 66°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Big Lake compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Common questions about Big Lake’s climate
What is the coldest month in Big Lake?
January, with a typical high of 21° and a low of 8°.
What is the hottest month in Big Lake?
July, with a typical high of 66° and a low of 50°.
How much snow does Big Lake get?
About 59 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Big Lake?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 7, and the last spring frost by May 29.
What is the rainiest month in Big Lake?
September, with 2.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 16 inches.
NOAA’s gridded normals don’t cover this state, so temperatures and rainfall come from the nearest weather station. Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Ft Richardson Wtp, AK (23 mi, snow) and Whites Crossing, AK (13 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020.