North Slope Borough, AK Climate

North Slope, AK County has a climate that is characterized by extreme cold temperatures throughout the year. The average temperature in January is -15°F and the average temperature in July is 55°F. The summers are short and mild, while the winters are long and often frigid. The area receives an average of only 8-9 inches of precipitation annually, most of which falls as snow during the winter months. Winters can bring strong winds and severe storms that blow from the north off the Arctic Ocean. Despite its harsh climate, North Slope County is home to many species of wildlife, including caribou, polar bears, muskoxen, wolves, and birds.

North Slope Borough County, Alaska gets 6 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

North Slope Borough County averages 47 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 146 sunny days per year in North Slope Borough County. The US average is 205 sunny days.

North Slope Borough County gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 90 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 53 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is -18
Rain: averages 6 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 47 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for North Slope County is 3.8 (10=best), which means it is one of the least comfortable places in Alaska.

6.8 Summer - 1.9 Winter

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

Climate	North Slope Borough, Alaska	United States
	6.1 in.	38.1 in.
	46.9 in.	27.8 in.
	89.9 days	106.2 days
	146 days	205 days
	52.6°	85.8°
	-17.8°	21.7°
	3.8	7
	1.3	4.3
	1428 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 North Slope County with an average high temperature of 52.6°, which ranks it as one of the coolest places in Alaska. In North Slope County, there are 0 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for North Slope County are July, August and June.

In North Slope County, 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 North Slope County with an average of -18.7°. This is one of the coldest places in Alaska.

In North Slope County, there are 276.8 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is one of the coldest places in Alaska.

In North Slope County, there are 148.7 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is one of the coldest places in Alaska.

Humidity is low in North Slope County, and some people might find the dryness to be uncomfortable. Days with noticeable humidity are rare throughout the year. A very dry climate can lead to cracked, itchy skin and dry eyes.

August is the wettest month in North Slope County with 1.3 inches of rain, and the driest month is March with 0.2 inches. The wettest season is Autumn with 47% of yearly precipitation and 13% occurs in Summer, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 6.1 inches in North Slope County means that it is one of the driest places in Alaska.

August is the rainiest month in North Slope County with 12.4 days of rain, and March is the driest month with only 4.5 rainy days. There are 89.9 rainy days annually in North Slope County, which is less rainy than most places in Alaska. The rainiest season is Winter when it rains 34% of the time and the driest is Summer with only a 16% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 46.9 inches in North Slope County means that it is less snowy than most places in Alaska. October is the snowiest month in North Slope County with 9.6 inches of snow, and 11 months of the year have significant snowfall.

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