Cantwell, AK climate
Cantwell has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 66°, a January night drops to -9°, and about 77 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Cantwell feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Cantwell 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 | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10° | -9° | 0.9" | 9.6" | 8 | 31 |
| February | 19° | -4° | 0.9" | 9.6" | 7 | 29 |
| March | 25° | -2° | 0.7" | 8.2" | 6 | 31 |
| April | 40° | 16° | 0.5" | 6.9" | 4 | 29 |
| May | 54° | 29° | 0.8" | 2.6" | 7 | 8 |
| June | 65° | 39° | 1.6" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 |
| July | 66° | 45° | 2.9" | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| August | 61° | 41° | 3.3" | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| September | 50° | 31° | 2.5" | 5.0" | 13 | 3 |
| October | 34° | 17° | 1.2" | 9.4" | 10 | 18 |
| November | 18° | 0° | 0.9" | 12.9" | 11 | 27 |
| December | 13° | -6° | 0.7" | 12.4" | 10 | 31 |
| Year | 38° | 16° | 16.8" | 76.7" | 123 | 206 |
“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 Cantwell
Cantwell gets 17 inches of rain and melted snow a year. August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 123 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 206 days of the year.
A year-round growing season
Heating and cooling a home in Cantwell
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Cantwell, 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.
How Cantwell compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Common questions about Cantwell’s climate
What is the coldest month in Cantwell?
January, with a typical high of 10° and a low of -9°.
What is the hottest month in Cantwell?
July, with a typical high of 66° and a low of 45°.
How much snow does Cantwell get?
About 77 inches in a normal winter, most of it in November.
When is the first frost in Cantwell?
Frost is uncommon. Only 100% of years see a night at 32° or below.
What is the rainiest month in Cantwell?
August, with 3.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 17 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 Mckinley Park, AK (22 mi, snow) and Cantwell 2 E, AK (5 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020.