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Weather by month

Wrangell–St. Elias weather, month by month

Last verified NOAA 1991–2020 normalsAmerica/Anchorage time
Average highs, lows, rain, snow and daylight for every month. Measured at the Gulkana (near Copper Center) (1,562 ft, 10.1 mi from Wrangell-St. Elias Visitor Center in Copper Center) — with McCarthy below, because the park's weather changes with elevation.
Jul high
69°F
hottest month
Jan low
-12°F
coldest month
Rain + snowmelt
11.8in / yr
wettest: Aug
Snowfall
—in / yr
rare
Days ≥ 90°F
0/ yr
Nights ≤ 32°F
238/ yr

Gulkana (near Copper Center)

Month by month

Normals are 30-year averages (1991–2020). Crowds = each month’s share of the park’s busiest month, from NPS visitor counts. Sunrise and sunset are for the 15th of each month in 2027.
Average high and low, every monthbars run from the low to the high · tan strip = precipitation
comfortable highs 55–85°F-20°0°20°40°60°32°January: average high 5°F, low -12°F, 0.7 in precipitation5°-12°January: 0.7 in precipitationJFebruary: average high 16°F, low -5°F, 0.7 in precipitation16°-5°February: 0.7 in precipitationFMarch: average high 28°F, low 1°F, 0.3 in precipitation28°1°March: 0.3 in precipitationMApril: average high 44°F, low 21°F, 0.2 in precipitation44°21°April: 0.2 in precipitationAMay: average high 58°F, low 33°F, 0.8 in precipitation58°33°May: 0.8 in precipitationMJune: average high 67°F, low 43°F, 1.4 in precipitation67°43°June: 1.4 in precipitationJJuly: average high 69°F, low 47°F, 1.7 in precipitation69°47°July: 1.7 in precipitationJAugust: average high 65°F, low 43°F, 1.9 in precipitation65°43°August: 1.9 in precipitationASeptember: average high 54°F, low 33°F, 1.4 in precipitation54°33°September: 1.4 in precipitationSOctober: average high 36°F, low 18°F, 1.0 in precipitation36°18°October: 1.0 in precipitationONovember: average high 15°F, low -1°F, 0.8 in precipitation15°-1°November: 0.8 in precipitationNDecember: average high 8°F, low -8°F, 0.8 in precipitation8°-8°December: 0.8 in precipitationDrain
MonthHighLowRainWet daysSunriseSunsetDaylightCrowds
Jan5°-12°0.7″89:30 AM3:50 PM6h 20m0
Feb16°-5°0.7″78:14 AM5:15 PM9h 01m0
Mar28°1°0.3″47:48 AM7:31 PM11h 43m1
Apr44°21°0.2″36:09 AM8:52 PM14h 43m2
May58°33°0.8″74:42 AM10:12 PM17h 30m18
Jun67°43°1.4″113:49 AM11:13 PM19h 24m71
Jul69°47°1.7″134:20 AM10:53 PM18h 33m100
Aug65°43°1.9″135:38 AM9:32 PM15h 55m78
Sep54°33°1.4″116:57 AM7:55 PM12h 58m25
Oct36°18°1.0″98:13 AM6:20 PM10h 07m2
Nov15°-1°0.8″88:37 AM3:53 PM7h 15m0
Dec8°-8°0.8″89:42 AM3:09 PM5h 27m0

Sweet spot: May combines average highs between 55°F and 85°F with crowds under 60% of the peak month. Check what is open in those months — quiet can also mean closed roads.

Also measured at

McCarthy

The McCarthy/Kennecott road's end. 1,250 ft, 5.8 mi from Kennecott Visitor Center.
MonthHighLowRainSnowWet days
Jan6°-9°0.9″13.2″9
Feb21°-1°1.1″7.9″7
Mar33°4°0.4″5.4″5
Apr48°22°0.3″2.5″3
May62°31°0.9″0.6″7
Jun70°39°1.6″—11
Jul71°43°2.5″—14
Aug67°40°2.6″—16
Sep56°33°2.6″2.7″15
Oct39°20°2.2″9.4″11
Nov17°2°1.4″13.5″10
Dec9°-4°1.1″11.3″9

How to read this

These are NOAA’s official 1991–2020 climate normals for one weather station, not a model of the whole park. The station is the one with complete temperature and precipitation normals nearest to a visitor center (we chose Gulkana (near Copper Center) because it is nearest complete station to the Copper Center visitor center). Highs and lows are daily averages for the month; “wet days” are days with at least 0.01 inch of precipitation. Mountain parks can be 10–20 °F cooler at their high points than at the station, and the NPS weather page for Wrangell–St. Elias is the place for current conditions and seasonal closures.

Sunrise and sunset are computed with the NOAA solar equations for the park’s coordinates and shown in America/Anchorage time for the 15th of each month of 2027; they are accurate to about a minute.

Sources · 3

  1. 1.U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — monthly normals station inventory · National Centers for Environmental Information (NOAA)
  2. 2.Wrangell–St. Elias National Park & Preserve — Weather (nps.gov) · National Park Service
  3. 3.Wrangell–St. Elias National Park & Preserve — Visitor Use Statistics · National Park Service (IRMA)

FAQ

Wrangell–St. Elias weather questions

What is the hottest month at Wrangell–St. Elias?
July, with an average high of 69°F and an average low of 47°F at Gulkana (near Copper Center) (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). The station averages 0 days a year at or above 90°F.
How cold does Wrangell–St. Elias get in winter?
January is the coldest month, averaging a low of -12°F and a high of 5°F at Gulkana (near Copper Center). About 238 nights a year drop to freezing or below.
Does it snow at Wrangell–St. Elias?
Gulkana (near Copper Center) records almost no snowfall (no snow normals). Higher elevations in the park can differ.
When is the rainy season at Wrangell–St. Elias?
August is the wettest month on average (1.9 inches of precipitation at Gulkana (near Copper Center)); the station's annual total is 11.8 inches.
How many hours of daylight does Wrangell–St. Elias get?
About 19h 24m on June 15 and 5h 27m on December 15 (sunrise 3:49 AM, sunset 11:13 PM in June; 9:42 AM to 3:09 PM in December, America/Anchorage time).
What is the best month to visit Wrangell–St. Elias for weather?
By NOAA's normals, average highs sit between 55°F and 85°F in May, June, July and August. Of those, May is also well below the park's peak crowds. Weather in the park varies with elevation; this is the Gulkana (near Copper Center) station.

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