Gustavus, AK climate
Gustavus has chilly, snowy winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 63°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 72 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Gustavus feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Gustavus 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 | 33° | 22° | 4.9" | 18.1" | 20 | 25 |
| February | 37° | 23° | 3.6" | 11.4" | 17 | 23 |
| March | 40° | 24° | 3.5" | 11.7" | 17 | 20 |
| April | 49° | 29° | 2.8" | 1.8" | 18 | 7 |
| May | 57° | 35° | 2.8" | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| June | 62° | 42° | 2.5" | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| July | 63° | 47° | 4.2" | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| August | 63° | 46° | 5.7" | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| September | 56° | 41° | 7.6" | 0 | 22 | 0 |
| October | 48° | 34° | 8.3" | 0.5" | 23 | 0 |
| November | 39° | 28° | 6.3" | 10.8" | 21 | 10 |
| December | 35° | 24° | 6.5" | 18.0" | 21 | 20 |
| Year | 48° | 33° | 58.7" | 72.3" | 227 | 105 |
“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 Gustavus
Gustavus gets 59 inches of rain and melted snow a year. October is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 227 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 105 days of the year.
About 116 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 28 and the first one by September 25. That leaves about 116 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 98% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Gustavus
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Gustavus, 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 Gustavus compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Common questions about Gustavus’s climate
What is the coldest month in Gustavus?
January, with a typical high of 33° and a low of 22°.
What is the hottest month in Gustavus?
July, with a typical high of 63° and a low of 47°.
How much snow does Gustavus get?
About 72 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Gustavus?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 25, and the last spring frost by May 28.
What is the rainiest month in Gustavus?
October, with 8.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 59 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 Gustavus, AK (2 mi, snow) and Gustavus 2 Ne, AK (1 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020.