McCarthy, AK climate
McCarthy has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 71°, a January night drops to -9°, and about 67 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in McCarthy feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
McCarthy 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 | 6° | -9° | 0.9" | 13.2" | 9 | 31 |
| February | 21° | -1° | 1.1" | 7.9" | 7 | 28 |
| March | 33° | 4° | 0.4" | 5.4" | 5 | 31 |
| April | 48° | 22° | 0.3" | 2.5" | 3 | 28 |
| May | 62° | 31° | 0.9" | 0.6" | 7 | 3 |
| June | 70° | 39° | 1.6" | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| July | 71° | 43° | 2.5" | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| August | 67° | 40° | 2.7" | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| September | 56° | 33° | 2.6" | 2.7" | 15 | 1 |
| October | 39° | 20° | 2.2" | 9.4" | 11 | 13 |
| November | 17° | 2° | 1.5" | 13.5" | 10 | 29 |
| December | 9° | -5° | 1.1" | 11.3" | 9 | 31 |
| Year | 42° | 18° | 17.7" | 66.5" | 118 | 196 |
“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 McCarthy
McCarthy gets 18 inches of rain and melted snow a year. August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 118 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 196 days of the year.
A year-round growing season
Heating and cooling a home in McCarthy
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In McCarthy, 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 McCarthy compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Common questions about McCarthy’s climate
What is the coldest month in McCarthy?
January, with a typical high of 6° and a low of -9°.
What is the hottest month in McCarthy?
July, with a typical high of 71° and a low of 43°.
How much snow does McCarthy get?
About 67 inches in a normal winter, most of it in November.
When is the first frost in McCarthy?
Frost is uncommon. Only 100% of years see a night at 32° or below.
What is the rainiest month in McCarthy?
August, with 2.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 18 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 Mccarthy 3 Sw, AK (5 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020.