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Anchorage weather by month: averages, rainfall & climate trends

Anchorage swings through a wide annual range, with 41.3°F between the monthly means of its warmest and coldest months. Rainfall leans toward the stretch from July to December. Anchorage weather by month: average temperatures, rainfall, extremes and how the climate has changed since 1940.

Today vs average

−2.3°Fhigh near average

37° / 32°Today
39° / 31°Average
see today in detail →

How it's changed

+4.8°Faverage temperature, 2016–2025 vs 1940–1949average temperature vs 1940–49146frost days a year now (2016–2025) · 185 in the 1940sfrost days a year · 185 in the 1940s+4.8°F vs the 1940s · see how it's changed →
Weather by montha typical year, averaged over the full recordJanuary, rain 2.4 incheshigh 21°low 14°February, rain 2.1 incheshigh 26°low 17°March, rain 1.7 incheshigh 32°low 21°April, rain 1.6 incheshigh 41°low 30°May, rain 1.4 incheshigh 51°low 38°June, rain 2.0 incheshigh 59°low 48°July, rain 3.2 incheshigh 63°low 54°August, rain 4.3 incheshigh 62°low 53°September, rain 4.7 incheshigh 55°low 46°October, rain 4.0 incheshigh 42°low 33°November, rain 2.8 incheshigh 28°low 21°December, rain 2.9 incheshigh 22°low 15°wettest month September, 4.7 inches · 33.3 inches a yearsee month by month →

Right now

What it's doing today vs the historical average for this date.
Snow

Right now

33.1°

28°feels like
100%humidity
33°dew point
4 mphfrom S
UV index0.0
sunrise08:56sunset18:32day length9h 36m
TodayShowers37°32°
WedMostly clear35°30°
ThuClear32°27°
FriOvercast33°25°
SatOvercast41°34°
SunLight rain40°35°
MonMostly clear48°38°

On this date: October 20

Today (forecast)
37° / 32°
Average for October 20
39° / 31°

High near average · −2.3°F

  • Highest since 1940: 49.4° · 2013
  • Lowest since 1940: 7.4° · 1996
  • One year ago: 42° / 37°

Every October 20 in history, coldest to hottest

▲ Daily highs▼ Daily lows

Dots show daily highs (top) and lows (bottom) for each October 20 on record (n = 87). Outlined dots are today's forecast.

Area we sample

Each city's history comes from one ERA5 grid cell, about 28 km across, shown by the dashed box. Near mountains or coasts, conditions can vary across the cell.

Location & data

Historical weather for Anchorage is sampled from the ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis at 61.22°N, 149.90°W, with daily records since 1940.

Coordinates
61.22°N, 149.90°W
Time zone
America/Anchorage
Period
1940–2026
Data source
ERA5 (ECMWF)

Last 30 days

25 of the last 31 days were warmer than the historical average for that date. Average difference: +2.0°F.

Each bar is one day, from morning low to afternoon high. Warm-colored bars are days whose mean ran above average; cool bars ran below. The dot inside the bar is the daily mean. The shaded band is the typical 10–90% range expected for that date. Average = the day's mean temperature averaged across every year of record (1940–2026) for that calendar date.

This date over the years

One dot per year, showing the mean temperature on this calendar date. Dots are warmer or cooler than the long-term average (dashed line); the shaded band is the typical 10–90% range, and the highlighted dot is today's forecast. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Weather by month

Average temperatures and rainfall for each month: a typical year, from the full record.

Climate overview

The warmest month is July, with typical afternoon highs of 63.1°F and nights around 53.7°F. At the other extreme, January brings afternoon highs of about 20.7°F and typical overnight lows of 13.5°F. Frost shows up on around 145 mornings a year.

The yearly total for Anchorage comes to about 33.3 inches; monthly amounts range from 1.4 inches in May up to 4.7 inches in September.

Over the full record (since 1940), the annual mean temperature in Anchorage has risen by 4.8°F between its first decade and its last. The last decade has also run wetter, about 8% above the long-term precipitation average.

Climate graph (climograph)

July is the warmest month, January the coolest: a yearly swing of 41°F. Wettest month: September (~4.7 in). Whole year averages ~33.3 inches of rain.

Bars = average monthly rainfall (right axis). Lines = average daily high and low (left axis). Average = each month's value averaged across every year of record (1940–2026).

Rainy days by month

About 112 rainy days a year: most in September (~14), fewest in May (~6).

Bars = average number of days with ≥ 0.08 in per month. Hover for the monthly rainfall total.

Monthly wind

Average daily peak wind at 10 m, by month.

Monthly solar energy

Average daily incoming solar energy in megajoules per square metre: the record's own proxy for how sunny the month is.

Anchorage month by month: what to expect

Typical conditions for each month, averaged across the full record (since 1940). Daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset. Highest and Lowest are the most extreme values in the ERA5 dataset (modelled since 1940), so they can differ from official weather-station readings.

MonthAvg highAvg lowRainRainy daysDaylightHighestLowest
January20.7°13.5°2.4 in86.0 h44.4° (2018)−29.3° (1989)
February25.9°17.0°2.1 in88.6 h43.2° (2014)−25.2° (1999)
March32.1°20.9°1.7 in711.3 h49.5° (2016)−17.8° (1956)
April41.4°29.9°1.6 in614.3 h62.3° (2005)0.6° (1944)
May50.5°37.8°1.4 in617.1 h70.1° (2010)16.8° (1945)
June58.9°47.9°2.0 in818.9 h81.1° (1969)34.5° (1945)
July63.1°53.7°3.2 in1118.1 h80.9° (2019)43.5° (1971)
August61.8°52.8°4.3 in1315.5 h79.0° (1977)36.6° (1955)
September54.8°45.7°4.7 in1412.5 h69.9° (1957)28.7° (1983)
October41.7°33.3°4.0 in129.6 h59.2° (2003)2.2° (1996)
November28.4°20.8°2.8 in106.8 h45.0° (1967)−14.5° (1941)
December21.8°14.6°2.9 in105.1 h44.7° (2017)−21.5° (1961)

How it's changed

Year-by-year signals from 1940 to today.

Climate stripes

Annual mean shifted from 1940–1949 to 2016–2025 by +4.8°F.

Each vertical stripe is one year. Color encodes how much that year's annual mean differed from the long-term average. Average = each year's annual mean compared to the average of all years (1940–2026). cooler ← → warmer

Annual mean temperature

Long-term trend: +0.56°F per decade.

One point per year, showing the temperature averaged across the whole year. The dashed line is the least-squares long-term trend. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Seasonal warming

Dec–Feb is warming fastest: +0.83°F per decade.

Each faint line is one three-month period's average per year; the bold dashed line is its long-term trend. Different parts of the year often warm at different rates. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Hot days vs frost days

Days ≥ 77°F per year: 0.0 early in the record → 0.7 recently. Frost days: 185 → 146.

Thin lines are raw yearly counts; thick lines are the smoothed trend that removes year-to-year noise. The hot-day threshold is auto-picked per city so the line actually moves. Average = a centered 5-year rolling average to smooth weather noise.

Yearly hot & cold extremes

Hottest day since 1940 in 1969, coldest in 1989: 81.1°F / −29.3°F.

One point per year: the single hottest and coldest day recorded that year.

Annual rainfall

~33.3 in/year on average. Last decade: +8% vs that average. Long-term trend: +0.42 in per decade.

One bar per year of total rainfall. Dashed line is the long-term average. Average = the average annual rainfall across every year of record (1940–2026).

Day-by-day grid

Each tiny square is one calendar day across the full record, about 30,000 days per city. Use the mode switch above the chart: Anomaly colors each day by how far it ran from the historical average for that date (red = warmer, blue = cooler), Daily mean temp shows the absolute mean temperature for the day (useful to see seasons and heatwaves), and Precipitation shows daily rainfall (useful to spot wet/dry seasons and droughts). Average = the long-term average for that calendar date (1940–2026).

Frequently asked questions about Anchorage

Which is the warmest month in Anchorage?
On long-term average, the warmest month in Anchorage is July (mean daily temperature of about 57.9°F) and the coolest is January (about 16.6°F).
How does today's temperature in Anchorage compare to the historical average?
On October 20, 2026, Anchorage is forecast to reach a high of 37.0°F and a low of 32.4°F. The long-term average for this date (the full record since 1940) is a high of 39.3°F and a low of 31.2°F, so today's high is 2.3°F cooler than that average.
How much has Anchorage warmed since 1940?
Comparing the first decade of the record (1940–1949) with the most recent (2016–2025), the annual mean temperature in Anchorage is about 4.8°F warmer.
How much does it rain in Anchorage?
Anchorage receives about 33.3 inches of precipitation per year on long-term average, with September typically the wettest month.
What is the average temperature in Anchorage?
Over the full record (since 1940), the annual mean temperature in Anchorage is about 36.5°F. The warmest month is July and the coolest is January.
What are the average temperatures in Anchorage by month?
Average daily highs and lows for each month in Anchorage (°F, full record since 1940): January 21°/14°, February 26°/17°, March 32°/21°, April 41°/30°, May 51°/38°, June 59°/48°, July 63°/54°, August 62°/53°, September 55°/46°, October 42°/33°, November 28°/21°, December 22°/15°.
What is the weather like in Anchorage in summer?
Summer in Anchorage (June to August) is fairly mild. Expect 59–63°F by day and 48–54°F at night, with July the warmest month. Rain picks up through the season: 8 rainy days and 2.0 inches in June, 13 days and 4.3 inches in August.
What is the weather like in Anchorage in winter?
In winter, December through February, Anchorage is freezing. Daytime highs sit at 21–26°F and nights at 14–17°F; January is the coldest month. Snow is steady at around 2.5 inches of precipitation a month, spread over roughly 9 days.
What is the weather like in Anchorage in spring?
In spring, March through May, Anchorage is cold. It warms from 32°F by day and 21°F at night in March to 51°F and 38°F in May. Rain and snow are steady at around 1.6 inches a month, spread over roughly 6 days. It is the driest season of the year.
What is the weather like in Anchorage in autumn?
Autumn in Anchorage (September to November) is cold. September still brings 55°F afternoons and 46°F nights, November only 28°F and 21°F. Rain and snow fall off from 4.7 inches on 14 days in September to 2.8 inches on 10 days in November. It is the wettest season of the year.
How many days a year does it rain in Anchorage?
On long-term average, Anchorage has about 112 days a year with at least 0.08 inches of rain or snow. The annual total is roughly 33.3 inches.

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