Weather and Climate

NPS Photo / Ken Hill

There are two distinct climates in the park, separated by the Alaska Range. They differ not only in physical measurements, but also in the types of vegetation and landscape features they produce. The transitional maritime climate on the south side of the Alaska Range is influenced by the prevailing weather patterns of the Gulf of Alaska, with milder air temperatures with less seasonal variation and more precipitation. Temperatures in the northern regions of the park are typical of an interior climate with very warm summers and cold winters. Precipitation on the north side is relatively low.

Climate has a dominant influence on the ecology of Denali, and understanding the key relationships affecting climate patterns plays a critical role in understanding and predicting physical and ecological changes within the park. The most direct and profound effects are likely to include changes in temperature and precipitation.

Learn more about climate monitoring in Denali.

 

Denali Weather Statistics

We have a rich history of climate data from Denali. Park staff have been recording daily weather observations at a site near headquarters since 1925. This is one of the few sites in the state with such a long and valuable record. We use information from this site to place current weather observations into context by comparing them to “normal” conditions. A climate ‘normal’ is defined as the average climate over a 30-year period. The latest normal period is 1981-2010 (they are updated every 10 years). The entire record (1925-present) is used to identify the extremes.

Denali Park Headquarters – Average Annual /Seasonal Temperature and Precipitation

Season	Preciptation (inches)	Minimum Temp (°F)	Average Temp (°F)	Maximum Temp (°F)
Annual	15.9	17.8	28.0	38.2
Winter	2.15	-3.0	5.7	14.5
Spring	1.78	15.9	28.1	40.2
Summer	8.55	41.9	53.0	64.2
Autumn	3.42	16.2	25.1	34.0

 

 

Denali Park Headquarters – Average Monthly Temperature and Precipitation

Month	Precipitation (inches)	Minimum Temp (°F)	Average Temp (°F)	Maximum Temp (°F)
January	0.61	-5.7	2.2	10.1
February	0.71	-0.9	9.3	19.6
March	0.51	-0.1	12.5	25.1
April	0.43	16.9	28.7	40.6
May	0.84	31.1	43	54.9
June	2.42	40.8	53	65.3
July	3.12	44.5	55.5	66.4
August	3.01	40.8	50.9	61.1
September	1.74	30.9	40.8	50.7
October	0.84	15.7	24.7	33.7
November	0.84	1.9	9.8	17.6
December	0.83	-2.5	5.6	13.8

 

 

Denali Park Headquarters – Average Monthly Snowfall Totals and Snow Depth

Month	Snowfall (inches)	Snow Depth (inches)
July	0	0
August	0	0
September	5	1
October	9.4	3
November	12.9	8
December	12.4	13
January	9.6	17
February	9.6	19
March	8.2	21
April	6.9	18
May	2.6	3
June	0.41	0
Annual Total	76.7	n/a

Denali Extremes – Park Headquarters

• Record high temperature: 91°F on June 22, 1991
• Record low temperature: -54°F on February 5, 1999
• Most rain in a single day: 3.28 inches on July 24, 1967
• Highest one day snowfall total: 33 inches on December 14, 1933
• Most snow on ground: 69 inches on February 19, 2022

 

Note: We know that it is likely colder on the summit of Denali and other high peaks of the Alaska Range, and it definitely snows and rains more at higher elevations in the park, but we don’t have long, continuous records from these remote, hard to reach places. We can only calculate weather statistics and climate extremes from sites where we have good data.

NPS Photo / Emily Mesner