Willow, AK climate
Willow has cold, snowy winters and cool summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 67°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 62 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Willow feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Willow 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 11° | 0.7" | 10.9" | 6 |
| February | 29° | 14° | 0.9" | 9.0" | 5 |
| March | 34° | 19° | 0.6" | 8.7" | 6 |
| April | 47° | 29° | 0.4" | 2.3" | 3 |
| May | 58° | 37° | 1.1" | 0.3" | 6 |
| June | 64° | 45° | 1.8" | 0 | 8 |
| July | 67° | 50° | 2.6" | 0 | 11 |
| August | 64° | 47° | 3.4" | 0 | 13 |
| September | 55° | 40° | 2.9" | 0.1" | 12 |
| October | 42° | 29° | 1.8" | 4.4" | 8 |
| November | 30° | 17° | 1.2" | 11.3" | 7 |
| December | 25° | 14° | 1.5" | 15.0" | 8 |
| Year | 45° | 29° | 18.8" | 62.0" | 93 |
“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 Willow
Willow gets 19 inches of rain and melted snow a year. August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year.
About 126 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first one by September 18. That leaves about 126 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 96% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Willow
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Willow, 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.
Willow and its neighbors
Willow borders 6 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 5.5°. Susitna North has both the coldest January nights (5°) and the hottest July afternoons (69°). Willow’s January low is 11° and its July high 67°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Willow compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Common questions about Willow’s climate
What is the coldest month in Willow?
January, with a typical high of 24° and a low of 11°.
What is the hottest month in Willow?
July, with a typical high of 67° and a low of 50°.
How much snow does Willow get?
About 62 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Willow?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 18, and the last spring frost by May 15.
What is the rainiest month in Willow?
August, with 3.4 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 19 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 Anderson Lake, AK (20 mi, snow) and Willow West, AK (17 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020.