AKAlaska rankings

Towns with the coolest summers in Alaska

Ranked by the typical afternoon high in July, 1991–2020, from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for each town. Neighboring towns on the same 5 km grid square have the same numbers, so each square is listed once, under its largest town. 41 towns with 2,500+ residents.

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020

#TownJuly highDays at 90°+July low
1 Utqiaġvik Utqiaġvik4,778 people 47.7° 0 36°
2 Unalaska Unalaska4,556 people 57.4° 0 47°
3 Nome Nome3,653 people 57.7° 0 46°
4 Mill Bay3,654 people 59.9° 0 50°
5 Kotzebue Kotzebue2,984 people 60.1° 0 51°
6 Sitka city and8,368 people 60.4° 0 53°
7 Petersburg Petersburg3,227 people 61.7° 0 51°
8 Kodiak Kodiak5,447 people 61.8° 0 51°
9 Seward Seward2,794 people 62.2° 0 50°
10 Juneau city and31,794 people 62.9° 0 52°
11 Homer Homer5,877 people 63.1° 0 49°
12 Kenai7,641 people 63.3° 0 49°
13 Nikiski Nikiski4,773 people 63.3° 0 49°
14 Bethel Bethel6,312 people 63.6° 0 49°
15 Valdez Valdez3,847 people 64.1° 0 49°
16 Ketchikan8,078 people 64.5° 0 53°
17 Map of Kalifornsky Kalifornsky8,663 people 65.5° 0 45°
18 Soldotna Soldotna4,485 people 65.5° 0 45°
19 Palmer Palmer6,268 people 65.7° 0 48°
20 Butte Butte4,085 people 65.7° 0 48°
21 Map of Farm Loop Farm Loop2,894 people 65.7° 0 48°
22 Map of Sterling Sterling6,323 people 66.1° 0 49°
23 Big Lake Big Lake3,585 people 66.2° 0 50°
24 Map of Tanaina Tanaina9,646 people 66.8° 0 50°
25 Map of Meadow Lakes Meadow Lakes8,689 people 66.8° 0 50°
26 Map of Fishhook Fishhook5,819 people 66.8° 0 50°
27 Anchorage288,976 people 67.4° 0 48°
28 Map of Knik-Fairview Knik-Fairview19,972 people 67.9° 0 51°
29 North Lakes North Lakes10,223 people 67.9° 0 51°
30 Wasilla Wasilla9,720 people 67.9° 0 51°
31 Gateway Gateway6,845 people 67.9° 0 51°
32 South Lakes South Lakes6,180 people 67.9° 0 51°
33 Steele Creek5,928 people 68.0° 0 51°
34 Map of College College11,924 people 71.3° 0 51°
35 Farmers Loop4,954 people 71.3° 0 51°
36 Eielson AFB Eielson AFB3,155 people 71.6° 0 50°
37 Ester Ester2,752 people 71.9° 0 49°
38 Badger Badger18,677 people 72.6° 1 52°
39 Chena Ridge Chena Ridge5,881 people 72.7° 0 53°
40 Fairbanks Fairbanks32,083 people 72.9° 0 52°
41 Map of Goldstream Goldstream3,294 people 73.0° 1 46°

How this ranking works

We rank every town by the typical afternoon high in July, 1991–2020, from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for each town. The lowest ranks first. The town with the lowest figure ranks #1. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast, and each town’s Climate page shows its whole year month by month.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded normals, about 5 km (3 miles) square, read at each town’s center, so hills and coastlines are built in. Towns whose centers fall in the same square have the same numbers, so only the largest of them is listed.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Climate: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states