Utqiagvik, AK Climate

Barrow, Alaska has a very cold climate, with temperatures rarely exceeding 50 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer and dropping to well below zero in the winter. The average temperature in January is -15? and the average temperature in July is just 41?. This city receives an average of 6 inches of precipitation annually, with about 8 months of snow cover each year. It experiences around 70 days of below-zero temperatures each year. With strong winds, Arctic air masses and heavy snowfall, conditions can be extreme during the winter months.

Utqiagvik, Alaska gets 5 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Utqiagvik averages 38 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 143 sunny days per year in Utqiagvik. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Utqiagvik gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 88 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 47 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is -20
Rain: averages 5 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 38 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Barrow is 3.6 (10=best), which means it is one of the least comfortable places in Alaska.

6.2 Summer - 2 Winter

July, June and August are the most pleasant months in Barrow, while November and December are the least comfortable months.

Climate	Utqiagvik, Alaska	United States
	4.5 in.	38.1 in.
	37.7 in.	27.8 in.
	87.6 days	106.2 days
	143 days	205 days
	46.9°	85.8°
	-19.5°	21.7°
	3.6	7
	1.3	4.3
	16 ft.	2443 ft.

Climate

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

July is the hottest month for Barrow with an average high temperature of 46.9°, which ranks it as one of the coolest places in Alaska. In Barrow, there are 0 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Barrow are July, August and June.

In Barrow, there are 0.0 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is about average compared to other places in Alaska.

February has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Barrow with an average of -20.4°. This is one of the coldest places in Alaska.

In Barrow, there are 303.3 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the coldest places in Alaska.

In Barrow, there are 157.8 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is one of the coldest places in Alaska.

Humidity is very low in Barrow, so low that the dry air may be uncomfortable for some people. There are few days during the year when the humidity is even noticable. A very dry climate can lead to cracked, itchy skin and dry eyes.

August is the wettest month in Barrow with 1.1 inches of rain, and the driest month is January with 0.1 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 53% of yearly precipitation and 7% occurs in Spring, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 4.5 inches in Barrow means that it is one of the driest places in Alaska.

September is the rainiest month in Barrow with 12.7 days of rain, and March is the driest month with only 4.1 rainy days. There are 87.6 rainy days annually in Barrow, which is one of the least rainy places in Alaska. The rainiest season is Winter when it rains 37% of the time and the driest is Summer with only a 16% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 37.7 inches in Barrow means that it is one of the least snowy places in Alaska. October is the snowiest month in Barrow with 9.1 inches of snow, and 11 months of the year have significant snowfall.