Valdez, AK climate
Valdez has chilly, snowy winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 64°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 325 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Valdez feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Valdez 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 | 29° | 19° | 6.6" | 66.6" | 16 | 31 |
| February | 32° | 21° | 5.9" | 63.4" | 15 | 29 |
| March | 37° | 23° | 4.1" | 45.8" | 14 | 31 |
| April | 46° | 32° | 3.4" | 22.3" | 14 | 27 |
| May | 56° | 40° | 3.0" | 3.4" | 15 | 4 |
| June | 63° | 46° | 2.4" | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| July | 64° | 49° | 3.9" | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| August | 62° | 47° | 7.0" | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| September | 55° | 42° | 9.8" | 0.7" | 21 | 0 |
| October | 45° | 34° | 8.0" | 9.1" | 19 | 3 |
| November | 34° | 25° | 6.1" | 43.5" | 16 | 23 |
| December | 31° | 22° | 7.7" | 70.5" | 17 | 30 |
| Year | 46° | 33° | 67.9" | 325.3" | 198 | 178 |
“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 Valdez
Valdez gets 68 inches of rain and melted snow a year. September is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 198 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 178 days of the year.
About 157 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first one by October 2. That leaves about 157 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 74% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Valdez
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Valdez, 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 Valdez compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Common questions about Valdez’s climate
What is the coldest month in Valdez?
January, with a typical high of 29° and a low of 19°.
What is the hottest month in Valdez?
July, with a typical high of 64° and a low of 49°.
How much snow does Valdez get?
About 325 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Valdez?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 2, and the last spring frost by April 30.
What is the rainiest month in Valdez?
September, with 9.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 68 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 Valdez WSO, AK (2 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020.