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Climate in Anchorage, Alaska: Monthly Weather Averages

By the AverageClimate Editorial Team · Last updated: October 2026

Anchorage sits at 120 feet above sea level, and its climate, as recorded at the Anchorage International Airport, AK station, runs to a yearly mean of 37.6°F. The warmest month is July, averaging 59.6°F with typical highs of 66.2°F; the coldest is January, averaging 16.9°F with lows around 11.0°F. Across a normal year the city receives 16.4 in of precipitation and 77.9 in of snow. The full month-by-month picture below comes from the official 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals — the 30-year averages the National Weather Service itself uses — so it describes the Anchorage climate you should actually plan around, whether you are timing a visit, weighing a move, or just settling an argument about which month is best.

Anchorage climate month by month

The table below is the complete 1991–2020 normals profile for Anchorage: average high, average low and mean temperature, rainfall, and snowfall for every month. Read down the Mean column to feel the year's rhythm — Anchorage's temperature range runs from 16.9°F in January to 59.6°F in July.

How to read the colors:below freezingcoldcoolmildwarmhot. Bands are colored by each cell's own temperature, so a whole year reads at a glance.

Anchorage through the seasons

Winter in Anchorage averages highs of 22.7–27.3°F and lows of 11.0–15.2°F, a seasonal mean of 19.2°F. The three months together bring 2.8 in of precipitation — about 17% of the city's yearly total — with December the wettest of the three at 1.16 in. Snowfall averages 44.0 in over the season, most of it in December (18.2 in). Average temperatures sit below freezing, so this is the heart of the heating season: expect snow-covered ground, icy mornings, and short, cold days as the local norm rather than the exception.

Spring in Anchorage averages highs of 33.0–56.3°F and lows of 18.6–40.0°F, a seasonal mean of 37.1°F. The three months together bring 1.8 in of precipitation — about 11% of the city's yearly total — with March the wettest of the three at 0.69 in. Snowfall averages 15.3 in over the season, most of it in March (11.0 in). The season is a transition: the average temperature climbs 22.3°F from March to May, and by late spring Anchorage is firmly into mild territory.

Summer in Anchorage averages highs of 63.4–66.2°F and lows of 48.4–52.9°F, a seasonal mean of 57.7°F. The three months together bring 5.8 in of precipitation — about 35% of the city's yearly total — with August the wettest of the three at 2.93 in. Summer is the mildest in the country by big-city standards — heat waves happen, but the average afternoon stays in the 70s, and many homes historically get by without air conditioning.

Fall in Anchorage averages highs of 28.9–55.7°F and lows of 18.3–42.9°F, a seasonal mean of 36.4°F. The three months together bring 6.1 in of precipitation — about 37% of the city's yearly total — with September the wettest of the three at 3.10 in. Snowfall averages 18.6 in over the season, most of it in November (12.6 in). Temperatures ease off through the season — the monthly mean drops 25.7°F from September to November — and fall is when Anchorage's weather turns cooler and wetter, with the first freezes arriving by November.

Best and worst months to visit Anchorage

Ranking every month by its normals — mild mean temperatures score best, heavy rain and snow count against — the most comfortable months to visit Anchorage are:

JuneJulyAugust

June leads the list: average highs of 63.4°F, lows of 48.4°F, and 1.02 in of rain, with snow a non-factor at 0.0 in. The other picks, July and August, offer the same balance in Anchorage's mild stretch of the year. At the other end, January is usually the month to avoid — deep-winter cold, with a mean temperature of 16.9°F and 0.75 in of precipitation plus 12.4 in of snow.

How Anchorage compares

Across the 114 cities in our dataset, the typical city averages 57.8°F for the year and 35.7 in of precipitation. Anchorage runs 20.2°F cooler than that typical city and drier by 19.2 in a year, ranking #113 of 114 for annual warmth and #92 of 114 for precipitation (wettest first). Its year-round temperature swing — warmest month minus coldest — is 42.7°F, which puts it in the moderate, clearly seasonal camp.

Planning notes for Anchorage

For anyone relocating: average overnight lows drop below freezing in 7 months (January, February, March, April, October, November, December), so heating, winter tires, and pipe protection are real seasonal concerns; even the warmest month's average high stays below 80°F, so summer heat is rarely a planning factor; 3 months of the year average between 55°F and 80°F, the band most people find comfortable without heating or cooling. Those four facts, all straight from the normals table above, shape everything from a Anchorage wardrobe to its utility bills.

Anchorage climate FAQ

Source: 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) — ncei.noaa.gov. Station: Anchorage International Airport, AK (USW00026451), elevation 120 ft. Figures checked October 2026.