Climate · Gateway

Gateway, AK climate

Gateway has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 68°, a January night drops to 7°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
68°
79th hottest of 213 Alaska towns
January low
7°
104th coldest of 213 Alaska towns
Rain + melted snow
14 in
60th driest of 213 Alaska towns
Snow a winter
50 in
32nd least snowy of 152 Alaska towns
A normal year

What a year in Gateway feels like

Winter

25° / 9°
Typical high / low · 18 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

47° / 28°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 14

Summer

66° / 48°
Typical high / low · 90° days are rare

Fall

43° / 27°
Typical high / low · First frost around Sep 20
Best months to be outsideJunJulAugHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Gateway weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground
January23°7°0.8" 9.2"725
February29°12°0.8" 9.0"624
March34°16°0.5" 7.6"621
April48°29°0.4" 1.4"43
May59°38°0.7" 0.5"60
June66°46°1.2" 090
July68°51°1.9" 0120
August65°48°2.5" 0150
September57°40°2.3" 0140
October43°27°1.4" 3.8"96
November29°14°0.8" 8.1"716
December25°10°1.0" 9.9"924
Year45°28°14.4"49.5"103118

“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more.

Rain & snow

Rain and snow in Gateway

Gateway 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 103 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 118 days of the year.

14 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 95% of U.S. towns
50 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 82% of U.S. towns
118 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
More than 96% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
2.5"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
9.9"
Frost & the growing season

About 127 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first one by September 20. That leaves about 127 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 96% of U.S. towns.

195
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
37
nights below 0° in a normal year
0
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Gateway

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Gateway, 100% of that work is heating and 0% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

100%heating
10,296 heating degree daysMore heating than 99% of U.S. towns
8 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 100% of U.S. towns

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.

Around Gateway

Gateway and its neighbors

Gateway borders 4 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 2.3°. South Lakes has both the coldest January nights (7°) and the hottest July afternoons (68°). Gateway’s January low is 7° and its July high 68°.

North Lakes: January low 7°, July high 68°Big Lake: January low 8°, July high 66°Meadow Lakes: January low 11°, July high 67°Point MacKenzie: January low 11°, July high 66°Palmer: January low 9°, July high 66°Buffalo Soapstone: January low 9°, July high 66°Fishhook: January low 11°, July high 67°Tanaina: January low 11°, July high 67°South Lakes: January low 7°, July high 68°Knik-Fairview: January low 7°, July high 68°Farm Loop: January low 9°, July high 66°Wasilla: January low 7°, July high 68°Gateway: January low 7°, July high 68° GatewaySouth LakesKnik-FairviewFarm LoopWasilla
ColderMilder7° to 11°
Gateway6.7°
South Lakes6.7° same
Knik-Fairview6.7° same
Wasilla6.7° same
Farm Loop9.0° +2.3°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Gateway compares

Summer heat68° July high
Cooler than 99% of U.S. towns79th hottest of 213 Alaska towns
Winter cold7° January low
Colder than 86% of U.S. towns104th coldest of 213 Alaska towns
Precipitation14" a year
Drier than 95% of U.S. towns60th driest of 213 Alaska towns
Snow50" a winter
Snowier than 82% of U.S. towns32nd least snowy of 152 Alaska towns
Growing season127 frost-free days
Shorter than 96% of U.S. towns71st longest of 213 Alaska towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Questions

Common questions about Gateway’s climate

What is the coldest month in Gateway?

January, with a typical high of 23° and a low of 7°.

What is the hottest month in Gateway?

July, with a typical high of 68° and a low of 51°.

How much snow does Gateway get?

About 50 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.

When is the first frost in Gateway?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 20, and the last spring frost by May 14.

What is the rainiest month in Gateway?

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 Matanuska Exp Farm, AK (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020.

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