Chiniak, AK climate
Chiniak has chilly, snowy winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 62°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 70 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Chiniak feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Chiniak 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 | 36° | 26° | 8.4" | 14.5" | 19 | 11 |
| February | 38° | 27° | 6.3" | 14.4" | 17 | 10 |
| March | 39° | 28° | 4.8" | 12.3" | 16 | 9 |
| April | 45° | 34° | 6.1" | 6.2" | 18 | 2 |
| May | 52° | 40° | 5.9" | 0.5" | 17 | 0 |
| June | 57° | 46° | 5.2" | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| July | 62° | 51° | 4.5" | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| August | 63° | 50° | 4.9" | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| September | 57° | 44° | 7.6" | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| October | 48° | 36° | 8.9" | 0.7" | 18 | 0 |
| November | 41° | 30° | 7.1" | 6.1" | 17 | 4 |
| December | 37° | 27° | 8.8" | 15.6" | 20 | 11 |
| Year | 48° | 36° | 78.3" | 70.3" | 204 | 47 |
“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 Chiniak
Chiniak gets 78 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 204 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 47 days of the year.
About 151 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first one by October 3. That leaves about 151 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 80% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Chiniak
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Chiniak, 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 Chiniak compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Common questions about Chiniak’s climate
What is the coldest month in Chiniak?
January, with a typical high of 36° and a low of 26°.
What is the hottest month in Chiniak?
August, with a typical high of 63° and a low of 50°.
How much snow does Chiniak get?
About 70 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Chiniak?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 3, and the last spring frost by May 5.
What is the rainiest month in Chiniak?
October, with 8.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 78 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 Kodiak Airport, AK (14 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020.