Galena, AK climate
Galena has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 69°, a January night drops to -17°, and about 77 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Galena feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Galena 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 | -3° | -17° | 0.6" | 11.0" | 7 | 31 |
| February | 9° | -10° | 0.8" | 14.9" | 9 | 29 |
| March | 19° | -5° | 0.6" | 9.1" | 7 | 31 |
| April | 38° | 17° | 0.3" | 4.6" | 6 | 26 |
| May | 57° | 35° | 0.4" | 0.4" | 6 | 3 |
| June | 69° | 47° | 1.6" | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| July | 69° | 51° | 2.0" | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| August | 62° | 46° | 2.5" | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| September | 52° | 35° | 1.8" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 |
| October | 31° | 20° | 1.2" | 8.3" | 11 | 14 |
| November | 12° | -1° | 1.2" | 12.8" | 10 | 29 |
| December | 3° | -12° | 1.0" | 15.8" | 11 | 31 |
| Year | 35° | 17° | 13.9" | 77.2" | 114 | 193 |
“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 Galena
Galena gets 14 inches of rain and melted snow a year. August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 114 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 193 days of the year.
About 111 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 18 and the first one by September 8. That leaves about 111 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 98% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Galena
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Galena, 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 Galena compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Common questions about Galena’s climate
What is the coldest month in Galena?
January, with a typical high of -3° and a low of -17°.
What is the hottest month in Galena?
July, with a typical high of 69° and a low of 51°.
How much snow does Galena get?
About 77 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Galena?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 8, and the last spring frost by May 18.
What is the rainiest month in Galena?
August, with 2.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 14 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 Galena, AK (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020.