Kivalina, AK climate
Kivalina has cold winters and cool summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 56°, a January night drops to -9°.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Kivalina feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Kivalina weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7° | -9° | 0.3" |
| February | 10° | -7° | 0.4" |
| March | 9° | -8° | 0.2" |
| April | 24° | 6° | 0.6" |
| May | 38° | 26° | 0.6" |
| June | 50° | 38° | 0.8" |
| July | 56° | 46° | 1.4" |
| August | 55° | 44° | 2.3" |
| September | 46° | 35° | 1.5" |
| October | 31° | 21° | 0.9" |
| November | 17° | 6° | 0.5" |
| December | 10° | -4° | 0.2" |
| Year | 29° | 16° | 9.7" |
“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 Kivalina
Kivalina gets 10 inches of rain and melted snow a year. August is the wettest month and December the driest.
About 92 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 10 and the first one by September 11. That leaves about 92 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 99% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Kivalina
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Kivalina, 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 Kivalina compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Common questions about Kivalina’s climate
What is the coldest month in Kivalina?
January, with a typical high of 7° and a low of -9°.
What is the hottest month in Kivalina?
July, with a typical high of 56° and a low of 46°.
When is the first frost in Kivalina?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 11, and the last spring frost by June 10.
What is the rainiest month in Kivalina?
August, with 2.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 10 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 Kivalina Airport, 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.