Alaska Climate – July 2026 Update
Top 5 Cities: Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Wasilla, and Sitka
Summary
While much of the northern hemisphere sweltered, Alaska experienced a strikingly cool and wet midsummer. Plunging temperatures and frequent rains made it the 2nd coolest region tracked globally relative to baseline in July, contrasting sharply with near-record land temperatures across the rest of the planet. However, late-summer drying still brought localized fire activity, with wetter conditions expected to persist into autumn.
This month in numbers
In July 2026, average temperatures dipped to 11°C, sitting 0.6°C below the 1961–1990 baseline to rank 68th in 77 years of recorded history. Maximum daytime temperatures averaged 15.5°C, representing a 0.7°C drop against baseline norms. Rainfall defined the month, as 109.22 mm of precipitation fell, 28.3 mm above average, making it the 13th wettest July on record. Across the broader May to July season, rainfall accumulated to 234.18 mm, sitting 35.7 mm above average and ranking as the 10th wettest May–July on record.
What changed
Across May to July, Alaska averaged 8.3°C, a modest 0.3°C above baseline that ranks 45th in 77 years. This relative chill stands out against the global picture, where land temperatures recorded their 3rd warmest July on record at 15.8°C (1.6°C above average) and their 2nd warmest May–July period at 14.34°C. In our cross-region tracking, Alaska ranked 231st out of 232 territories for its July anomaly, placing it in the bottom 5 coolest locations relative to baseline. Over the last 12 months, its rolling anomaly of +0.14°C ranks 232nd out of 232, making it the coolest region on Earth relative to historical norms over the past year.
What’s driving change?
While long-term warming in high northern latitudes is heavily driven by , short-term atmospheric patterns can cause stark month-to-month departures. Persistent brought cooler maritime air masses and frequent rainfall across the state throughout midsummer, suppressing daytime temperatures. Despite the damp conditions, seasonal drying in northern tundra and interior pockets allowed fire activity to pick up late in the season. All of Alaska's 3 wildfires this year have happened in the past month, with active burn areas tracked on our live map at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
Seasonal forecasts from NOAA indicate that above-average precipitation is likely to persist across southern and western Alaska into autumn, while developing tropical Pacific ocean conditions could influence broader atmospheric patterns over the coming months.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
At a Glance
Temperature – Average
Climate Map – USUnited States
Source: NOAA Climate at a Glance — US states & climate regions (tavg, pcp), plus GPCC (Snow, water-equivalent). Anomalies are vs the 1961–1990 baseline. See methodology.
Typical Climate – Alaska
Köppen Dfc · ContinentalAlaska has a continental climate (Köppen Dfc: Subarctic), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 12.8°C, while January is the coldest at -13.8°C. Annual precipitation averages around 989mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Monthly climate normals (2016–2025) - bar colour and height show average temperature, the shaded area shows average monthly rain, with snow (water-equivalent) shown separately.
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Long-Term Trends
Combined Timeline – Alaska
Precipitation, Sunshine, Frost and Snow are converted to standard deviations from their own average so they can share an axis with Temperature.
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Heatwave Days – Alaska
Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - days in a 6+ day run above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that time of year.
Data: World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal (ERA5-derived). Refreshed roughly 1-2x/year, ~7-8 months behind present.
Year-on-Year Trends
The 4byo Climate Helix – Alaska
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Monthly Temperature – Alaska
Background lines show the last 40 years (plus the record year and its opposite, wherever they fall).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Records – Alaska
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)) - Anomalies vs 1901-2000 mean
Shifting Seasons
Warm / cold seasonsKöppen Dfc · ContinentalHow spring and autumn have shifted in Alaska. Spring is defined as the date monthly temperatures first rise above the long-term annual mean (-3.7°C, from 1950–1979); autumn is the date they fall back below it. Temperature swings 28.6°C peak-to-peak across the year - a classic four-seasons rhythm.
Baseline vs recent monthly temperature climatology. Biggest warming: Feb (+3.5°C).
Data: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (temperature/precipitation; frost: World Bank CCKP; snow: GPCC (DWD)).
Emissions & Energy
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Alaska
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) - see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
Statewide monthly temperature and precipitation (nClimDiv).
Frost Days and Heatwave Days (Warm Spell Duration Index), ERA5-derived. World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
Monthly snow water-equivalent, Global Precipitation Climatology Centre (DWD).
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Alaska changing?
Alaska is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The headline panel also shows the long-term trend rate per decade and the warmest and coolest years on file.
What is the climate like in Alaska?
Alaska has a continental climate (Köppen Dfc: Subarctic), with distinct warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. July is typically the warmest month, averaging 12.8°C, while January is the coldest at -13.8°C. Annual precipitation averages around 989mm, spread fairly evenly across the year.
Where does the climate data for Alaska come from?
Climate data for Alaska comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Alaska climate data cover?
The Alaska climate profile covers Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Wasilla and surrounding areas. Alaska climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Alaska climate update refreshed?
The Alaska climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.
What counts as a Heatwave Day on the Alaska climate page?
Heatwave Days use the Warm Spell Duration Index (WSDI) - the WMO/ETCCDI-standard heatwave measure: days that are part of a run of 6 or more consecutive days above the local 90th-percentile temperature for that calendar day. The 90th-percentile threshold varies by time of year (a hot day in January is judged differently to one in July) but is fixed to the 1961-1990 baseline for every year shown - it does not shift as the climate warms, which is why Heatwave Days trend upward over time.
Does the Alaska climate page include frost and snow data?
Yes. Frost Days (days with a minimum temperature below 0°C, World Bank CCKP) and snow water-equivalent (GPCC) are shown alongside temperature and precipitation, each measured against the 1961-1990 baseline where a like-for-like historical comparison is available.