Sterling, AK climate
Sterling has cold winters and cool summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 66°, a January night drops to 8°.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Sterling feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Sterling 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° | 8° | 1.3" |
| February | 28° | 12° | 1.8" |
| March | 33° | 15° | 0.9" |
| April | 46° | 28° | 0.9" |
| May | 56° | 35° | 1.0" |
| June | 63° | 44° | 1.7" |
| July | 66° | 49° | 2.4" |
| August | 64° | 47° | 3.2" |
| September | 55° | 40° | 3.5" |
| October | 42° | 28° | 2.8" |
| November | 28° | 15° | 1.8" |
| December | 23° | 10° | 1.8" |
| Year | 44° | 28° | 23.1" |
“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 Sterling
Sterling gets 23 inches of rain and melted snow a year. September is the wettest month and March the driest.
About 123 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first one by September 21. That leaves about 123 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 97% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Sterling
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Sterling, 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.
Sterling and its neighbors
Sterling borders 3 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 3.4°. Soldotna has the coldest January nights (5°) and Funny River the hottest July afternoons (66°). Sterling’s January low is 8° and its July high 66°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Sterling compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Common questions about Sterling’s climate
What is the coldest month in Sterling?
January, with a typical high of 22° and a low of 8°.
What is the hottest month in Sterling?
July, with a typical high of 66° and a low of 49°.
When is the first frost in Sterling?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 21, and the last spring frost by May 20.
What is the rainiest month in Sterling?
September, with 3.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 23 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 Sterling 6sw, 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.