Kotzebue has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain
A typical July afternoon reaches 60°, a January night drops to -8°, and about 64 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Kotzebue at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kotzebue’s climate
Read from where Kotzebue sits among Alaska’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
64 inches of snow, 11 of rain and melt
August is the wettest month and May the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 113 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
What a year in Kotzebue feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 110 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 5 and the first by September 24.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
Living with Kotzebue’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
110 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Jun 5 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 24.
About 64" a winter over 21 days with an inch or more, most in February. Snow covers the ground about 206 days a year.
Months averaging under 55° run from August through June. Heating is 100% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
90° days are rare: July afternoons average 60°.
7.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →How Kotzebue compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Alaska.
Kotzebue 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 | 5° | -8° | 0.6" | 9.4" | 9 | 31 |
| February | 9° | -6° | 0.9" | 13.1" | 10 | 29 |
| March | 9° | -6° | 0.5" | 6.4" | 7 | 31 |
| April | 24° | 9° | 0.6" | 4.7" | 7 | 29 |
| May | 39° | 27° | 0.4" | 1.2" | 7 | 18 |
| June | 53° | 42° | 0.6" | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| July | 60° | 51° | 1.6" | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| August | 57° | 48° | 2.1" | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| September | 48° | 39° | 1.4" | 0.6" | 12 | 0 |
| October | 31° | 23° | 1.1" | 5.9" | 12 | 11 |
| November | 16° | 6° | 0.8" | 11.0" | 10 | 26 |
| December | 9° | -4° | 0.7" | 11.9" | 10 | 30 |
| Year | 30° | 18° | 11.4" | 64.2" | 113 | 206 |
Heating and cooling a home in Kotzebue
100% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Common questions about Kotzebue’s climate
What is the coldest month in Kotzebue?
January, with a typical high of 5° and a low of -8°.
What is the hottest month in Kotzebue?
July, with a typical high of 60° and a low of 51°.
How much snow does Kotzebue get?
About 64 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Kotzebue?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 24, and the last spring frost by June 5.
What is the rainiest month in Kotzebue?
August, with 2.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 11 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Kotzebue.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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 Kotzebue Ralph Wein Airport, AK (4 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.