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United States › Alaska › Northwest Arctic Borough › Climate Station KOTZEBUE RALPH WEIN AP, AK US Distance 71.3 mi Normals 1991–2020

30-year climate normals

Northwest Arctic Borough Climate and Weather Averages

Hottest month — July

60.1°

average daily high. The coldest month is January, averaging a low of -8.4°F.

Northwest Arctic Borough gets 11.36" of precipitation a year and 64.2" of snow, and 45% of it falls in Jul, Aug, Sep.

Temperature through the year

Each bar spans the average daily low to the average daily high for that month.

0° 20° 40° 60° JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
MonthAvg highAvg low PrecipSnow
January 4.5° -8.4° 0.62" 9.4"
February 8.6° -5.8° 0.85" 13.1"
March 9.1° -6.0° 0.52" 6.4"
April 23.8° 8.8° 0.56" 4.7"
May 39.0° 27.3° 0.44" 1.2"
June 53.2° 41.8° 0.60" 0.0"
July 60.1° 50.5° 1.60" 0.0"
August 56.6° 47.7° 2.13" 0.0"
September 47.5° 38.7° 1.42" 0.6"
October 30.8° 23.0° 1.07" 5.9"
November 15.9° 5.6° 0.82" 11.0"
December 8.6° -3.8° 0.73" 11.9"

Rainfall by month

Northwest Arctic Borough has a distinct wet season. 45% of the year's precipitation arrives in Jul, Aug, Sep.

January 0.62"
February 0.85"
March 0.52"
April 0.56"
May 0.44"
June 0.60"
July 1.60"
August 2.13"
September 1.42"
October 1.07"
November 0.82"
December 0.73"
Annual total 11.36"

What this climate costs you

Degree days measure how hard a building has to work to stay comfortable. They are the reason two identical houses have very different power bills, and they are the link between the weather here and what you pay every month.

Cooling degree days How much air conditioning the climate demands 5
Heating degree days How much heating the climate demands 14,907
Approximate annual cooling cost At 28.23¢/kWh, Alaska average $1
Approximate annual electric heating cost Lower where heating is gas rather than electric $1,473

These are rough planning figures from degree days and the state electricity price, not a bill estimate. House size, insulation and fuel type move them a lot. See the full cost of owning a home in Northwest Arctic Borough, where electricity is one line of eight.

Common questions

What is the weather like in Northwest Arctic Borough?

Northwest Arctic Borough averages a high of 60.1°F in July and a low of -8.4°F in January. Annual precipitation is 11.36 inches, including 64.2 inches of snow.

When is the rainy season in Northwest Arctic Borough?

The wettest stretch is Jul, Aug, Sep, which accounts for 45% of the year's precipitation. That is a pronounced wet season rather than rain spread evenly through the year.

How hot does it get in Northwest Arctic Borough?

The average daily high in July, the hottest month, is 60.1°F. That drives 5 cooling degree days a year, which is what your air conditioning has to work against.

Does it snow in Northwest Arctic Borough?

Yes. Northwest Arctic Borough averages 64.2 inches of snow a year.

Sources

  • Temperature, precipitation and snowfall normals — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 Monthly Climate Normals, station KOTZEBUE RALPH WEIN AP, AK US (USW00026616), 71.3 miles from the county centroid.
  • Heating and cooling degree days — NOAA, same station and period.
  • Electricity price — US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, Alaska residential average.
  • Wet-season share is the wettest three consecutive months as a percentage of annual precipitation, calculated from the monthly normals.