Nikiski, AK climate
Nikiski has cold winters and cool summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 63°, a January night drops to 7°.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Nikiski feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Nikiski weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 22° | 7° | 0.9" |
| February | 28° | 12° | 0.8" |
| March | 33° | 14° | 0.6" |
| April | 44° | 28° | 0.6" |
| May | 55° | 36° | 0.8" |
| June | 60° | 44° | 1.2" |
| July | 63° | 49° | 2.0" |
| August | 63° | 47° | 2.7" |
| September | 56° | 40° | 3.6" |
| October | 43° | 29° | 2.6" |
| November | 30° | 16° | 1.4" |
| December | 25° | 11° | 1.1" |
| Year | 44° | 28° | 18.3" |
“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 Nikiski
Nikiski gets 18 inches of rain and melted snow a year. September is the wettest month and April the driest.
About 125 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 18 and the first one by September 22. That leaves about 125 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 96% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Nikiski
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Nikiski, 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.
Nikiski and its neighbors
Nikiski borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 4.5°. Point Possession has both the coldest January nights (3°) and the hottest July afternoons (67°). Nikiski’s January low is 7° and its July high 63°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Nikiski compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Common questions about Nikiski’s climate
What is the coldest month in Nikiski?
January, with a typical high of 22° and a low of 7°.
What is the hottest month in Nikiski?
July, with a typical high of 63° and a low of 49°.
When is the first frost in Nikiski?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 22, and the last spring frost by May 18.
What is the rainiest month in Nikiski?
September, with 3.6 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 Kenai 9n, AK (5 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020.