Climate · Salcha

Salcha, AK climate

Salcha has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 72°, a January night drops to -18°, and about 68 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
72°
26th hottest of 213 Alaska towns
January low
-18°
21st coldest of 213 Alaska towns
Rain + melted snow
13 in
41st driest of 213 Alaska towns
Snow a winter
68 in
72nd snowiest of 152 Alaska towns
A normal year

What a year in Salcha feels like

Winter

5° / -14°
Typical high / low · 23 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

44° / 18°
Typical high / low · Last frost around May 20

Summer

69° / 47°
Typical high / low · 90° days are rare

Fall

33° / 14°
Typical high / low · First frost around Sep 1
Best months to be outsideJunJulAugHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Salcha weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet days
January0°-18°0.5" 8.5"7
February11°-11°0.4" 6.5"5
March25°-3°0.3" 6.9"5
April45°21°0.3" 3.5"3
May61°36°0.7" 1.7"6
June71°47°2.1" 011
July72°50°2.7" 013
August66°44°2.6" 013
September54°34°1.5" 2.6"10
October33°16°0.9" 12.9"10
November10°-6°0.5" 13.4"7
December3°-14°0.4" 11.7"7
Year38°16°12.9"67.7"97

“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more.

Rain & snow

Rain and snow in Salcha

Salcha gets 13 inches of rain and melted snow a year. July is the wettest month and March the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 97 days a year.

13 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 96% of U.S. towns
68 in
Snow in a normal winter
More snow than 91% of U.S. towns
97 days
With rain or snow (0.01"+)

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
2.7"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
13"
Frost & the growing season

About 104 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first one by September 1. That leaves about 104 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 99% of U.S. towns.

223
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
112
nights below 0° in a normal year
<1
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Salcha

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Salcha, 100% of that work is heating and 0% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

100%heating
13,878 heating degree daysMore heating than 100% of U.S. towns
34 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 99% of U.S. towns

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.

Around Salcha

Salcha and its neighbors

Salcha borders 2 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 6.5°. Eielson AFB has the coldest January nights (-18°) and Harding-Birch Lakes the hottest July afternoons (74°). Salcha’s January low is -18° and its July high 72°.

Moose Creek: January low -16°, July high 73°Harding-Birch Lakes: January low -11°, July high 74°Eielson AFB: January low -18°, July high 72°Salcha: January low -18°, July high 72° SalchaHarding-Birch LakesEielson AFB
ColderMilder-18° to -11°
Salcha-17.6°
Eielson AFB-17.6° same
Harding-Birch Lakes-11.1° +6.5°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Salcha compares

Summer heat72° July high
Cooler than 99% of U.S. towns26th hottest of 213 Alaska towns
Winter cold-18° January low
Colder than 100% of U.S. towns21st coldest of 213 Alaska towns
Precipitation13" a year
Drier than 96% of U.S. towns41st driest of 213 Alaska towns
Snow68" a winter
Snowier than 91% of U.S. towns72nd snowiest of 152 Alaska towns
Growing season104 frost-free days
Shorter than 99% of U.S. towns73rd shortest of 213 Alaska towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Questions

Common questions about Salcha’s climate

What is the coldest month in Salcha?

January, with a typical high of 0° and a low of -18°.

What is the hottest month in Salcha?

July, with a typical high of 72° and a low of 50°.

How much snow does Salcha get?

About 68 inches in a normal winter, most of it in November.

When is the first frost in Salcha?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 1, and the last spring frost by May 20.

What is the rainiest month in Salcha?

July, with 2.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 13 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 Eielson Fld, AK (11 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020.

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