Whittier, AK climate
Whittier has chilly, snowy winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 63°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 268 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Whittier feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Whittier 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 | 33° | 24° | 18.8" | 50.0" | 18 | 31 |
| February | 33° | 25° | 16.2" | 44.8" | 17 | 28 |
| March | 36° | 27° | 13.7" | 55.1" | 16 | 31 |
| April | 44° | 33° | 14.7" | 15.9" | 16 | 30 |
| May | 53° | 41° | 14.9" | 1.8" | 15 | 22 |
| June | 61° | 47° | 9.2" | 0 | 15 | 3 |
| July | 63° | 51° | 11.2" | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| August | 62° | 51° | 16.5" | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| September | 54° | 45° | 22.5" | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| October | 44° | 36° | 21.1" | 5.9" | 20 | 4 |
| November | 37° | 29° | 18.8" | 33.3" | 18 | 20 |
| December | 34° | 25° | 19.8" | 61.4" | 20 | 29 |
| Year | 46° | 36° | 197.3" | 268.2" | 208 | 197 |
“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 Whittier
Whittier gets 197 inches of rain and melted snow a year. September is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 208 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 197 days of the year.
About 172 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 25 and the first one by October 14. That leaves about 172 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 58% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Whittier
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Whittier, 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 Whittier compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Common questions about Whittier’s climate
What is the coldest month in Whittier?
January, with a typical high of 33° and a low of 24°.
What is the hottest month in Whittier?
July, with a typical high of 63° and a low of 51°.
How much snow does Whittier get?
About 268 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Whittier?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 14, and the last spring frost by April 25.
What is the rainiest month in Whittier?
September, with 22.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 197 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 Whittier, AK (1 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020.