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North earns its chilly reputation

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Alaska.com

Northern Alaska has earned its reputation for chilly days and nights. The year-round average high temperature in Barrow, the northernmost city, is 15.3 degrees, for example, and the average yearly low temperature is 4.5 degrees.

But the region is not a year-round icebox. In protected areas south of the Brooks Range, such as in Kobuk Valley National Park, temperatures may surpass 70 degrees several times a summer.

Here are monthly averages -- high temperature, low temperature, precipitation (rain and melted snow), snowfall and snow depth for Northern locations: Arctic Village, Barrow, Barter Island, Bettles, Cape Lisburne, Kobuk, Kotzebue, Kuparuk, Prudhoe Bay/Deadhorse, Umiat and Wainwright.

ARCTIC VILLAGE

(Southern edge of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge)
Period of record: 8/1/1962 to 9/30/1996

Average annual high temperature	Average annual low temperature	Average annual total precipitation	Average annual total snowfall
27.2	4.6	9.30	49.2

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max temp	-13.1	-6.1	13.0	29.8	49.6	64.8	68.9	59.7	42.0	20.9	-1.1	-2.6
Min temp	-32.9	-30.1	-17.1	-1.8	26.9	44.1	46.6	38.5	22.8	1.0	-19.9	-22.4
Precip- tation	0.44	0.26	0.41	0.23	0.61	1.41	1.68	1.42	1.38	0.60	0.45	0.40
Snow- fall	4.4	4.4	6.4	4.0	2.3	1.5	0.0	0.1	4.7	8.0	6.7	6.7
Snow depth	17	17	21	21	6	0	0	0	1	4	9	13

BARROW

(Northernmost town in Alaska)
Period of record: 9/2/1949 to 12/31/2000

Average annual high temperature	Average annual low temperature	Average annual total precipitation	Average annual total snowfall
15.3	4.5	4.56	29.8

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max temp	-7.7	-11.8	-8.3	6.4	24.6	38.6	45.5	42.9	34.2	19.6	5.0	-5.6
Min temp	-20.2	-23.7	-20.9	-7.6	14.8	29.9	33.8	33.6	27.4	10.2	-6.3	-17.2
Precip- tation	0.18	0.15	0.14	0.17	0.15	0.34	0.90	1.03	0.63	0.47	0.23	0.16
Snow- fall	2.3	2.1	2.0	2.5	2.0	0.7	0.3	0.8	4.2	7.1	3.5	2.3
Snow depth	9	10	11	11	6	1	0	0	1	4	7	8

BARTER ISLAND

(Along Beaufort Sea north of Arctic National Wildlife Refuge)
Period of record: 9/1/1949 to 9/30/2000

Average annual high temperature	Average annual low temperature	Average annual total precipitation	Average annual total snowfall
15.4	4.1	6.19	41.8

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max temp	-7.7	-13.9	-8.8	6.7	26.3	38.4	45.4	43.8	35.4	20.3	5.1	-5.8
Min temp	-20.3	-26.3	-22.5	-9.3	15.7	30.4	34.8	34.4	27.9	10.1	-6.7	-18.3
Precip- tation	0.48	0.23	0.21	0.19	0.31	0.53	1.03	1.10	0.68	0.77	0.41	0.26
Snow- fall	5.0	2.7	2.6	2.4	3.0	1.6	0.5	1.5	4.9	9.2	5.0	3.4
Snow depth	12	14	14	15	10	1	0	0	1	5	8	10

BETTLES

(Near Gates of the Arctic National Park, Kanuti National Wildlife Refuge)
Period of record: 5/1/1951 to 12/31/2000

Average annual high temperature	Average annual low temperature	Average annual total precipitation	Average annual total snowfall
31.1	12.9	13.92	82.4

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max temp	-4.7	0.7	14.7	32.4	53.1	68.0	69.4	62.2	48.5	25.0	5.6	-2.0
Min temp	-20.5	-17.6	-8.6	10.1	33.5	46.9	49.0	43.6	32.2	11.9	-8.4	-17.0
Precip- tation	0.81	0.68	0.66	0.52	0.68	1.36	1.98	2.58	1.79	1.11	0.89	0.86
Snow- fall	12.6	9.8	10.0	6.7	1.1	0.0	0.0	0.1	2.1	11.9	13.4	14.8
Snow depth	26	29	31	26	4	0	0	0	0	4	12	20

CAPE LISBURNE

(Far western part of Northern Alaska)
Period of record: 1/2/1954 to 11/30/1984

Average annual high temperature	Average annual low temperature	Average annual total precipitation	Average annual total snowfall
21.9	13.1	11.34	41.4

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max temp	4.6	-4.2	-0.7	11.2	30.1	42.5	49.8	48.5	40.1	26.1	12.7	2.6
Min temp	-6.8	-14.3	-11.1	0.4	21.5	33.5	40.5	41.3	34.4	19.8	4.8	-6.4
Precip- tation	0.51	0.28	0.26	0.39	0.35	0.63	1.96	2.74	2.01	1.11	0.77	0.33
Snow- fall	5.0	2.9	2.9	3.7	1.9	0.6	0.5	0.4	3.4	9.2	7.3	3.5
Snow depth	10	10	10	11	4	0	0	0	0	3	7	8

KOBUK

(Along Kobuk River, close to Kobuk Valley National Park, Gates of the Arctic National Park, Selawik National Wildlife Refuge and Noatak National Preserve)
Period of record: 8/16/1953 to 12/31/1979

Average annual high temperature	Average annual low temperature	Average annual total precipitation	Average annual total snowfall
32.4	10.8	16.68	54.0

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max temp	1.1	1.8	13.3	28.0	50.6	66.0	69.4	64.4	52.0	28.3	12.7	0.9
Min temp	-18.5	-22.1	-12.6	4.1	27.9	42.1	45.7	42.9	32.4	11.4	-4.7	-19.1
Precip- tation	0.61	0.35	0.66	0.61	0.79	1.75	3.20	3.41	2.87	0.81	0.96	0.65
Snow- fall	7.3	4.9	8.0	4.7	0.7	0.1	0.0	0.0	1.9	6.9	11.4	8.0
Snow depth	25	31	34	35	13	0	0	0	0	3	12	19

KOTZEBUE

(On Baldwin Peninsula, Kotzebue Sound, in northwest Alaska)
Period of record: 9/1/1949 to 12/31/2000

Average annual high temperature	Average annual low temperature	Average annual total precipitation	Average annual total snowfall
27.9	15.3	9.50	49.8

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max temp	4.2	3.1	8.6	21.3	38.2	50.3	59.1	56.4	46.6	27.8	13.9	4.7
Min temp	-9.1	-11.2	-8.1	3.5	24.9	38.3	48.5	46.8	36.8	18.4	3.1	-8.1
Precip- tation	0.45	0.37	0.35	0.37	0.36	0.55	1.43	2.15	1.60	0.80	0.59	0.48
Snow- fall	6.9	5.5	5.7	4.9	1.6	0.1	0.0	0.0	1.2	6.7	9.0	8.1
Snow depth	17	20	23	22	7	0	0	0	0	2	6	12

KUPARUK

(Oilfield 30 miles west of Prudhoe Bay/Deadhorse)
Period of record: 2/1/1983 to 12/31/2000

Average annual high temperature	Average annual low temperature	Average annual total precipitation	Average annual total snowfall
17.5	4.2	3.73	29.9

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max temp	-12.0	-12.4	-7.6	7.5	27.9	47.0	56.2	51.0	38.0	19.6	1.8	-7.2
Min temp	-24.4	-25.3	-21.8	-7.7	16.5	32.8	38.9	36.7	27.5	8.2	-10.9	-19.7
Precip- tation	0.11	0.14	0.08	0.11	0.04	0.33	0.82	1.14	0.47	0.32	0.11	0.09
Snow- fall	2.5	2.5	2.5	2.6	0.9	0.7	0.0	0.5	3.8	8.1	3.2	2.7
Snow depth	6	7	8	8	4	0	0	0	0	3	5	5

PRUDHOE BAY

(Oilfield along Arctic Ocean at end of Dalton Highway)
Period of record: 4/1/1986 to 6/30/1999

Average annual high temperature	Average annual low temperature	Average annual total precipitation	Average annual total snowfall
18.1	5.3	4.26	33.1

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max temp	-11.9	-10.1	-5.2	10.1	28.8	45.2	55.4	51.0	38.3	21.0	0.9	-6.6
Min temp	-24.0	-24.3	-20.3	-4.8	19.0	32.7	39.7	37.5	28.9	9.7	-11.0	-19.2
Precip- tation	0.20	0.17	0.14	0.08	0.09	0.39	0.68	1.14	0.61	0.38	0.18	0.20
Snow- fall	2.8	2.4	2.7	1.7	1.4	1.0	0.0	0.5	3.5	9.3	4.3	3.5
Snow depth	4	4	4	3	1	0	0	0	0	3	3	4

UMIAT

(Settlement along Colville River north of Brooks Range)
Period of record: 9/1/1949 to 12/31/2000

Average annual high temperature	Average annual low temperature	Average annual total precipitation	Average annual total snowfall
19.9	1.5	5.49	33.0

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max temp	-12.8	-14.4	-6.6	11.3	32.4	57.4	66.2	57.7	41.4	18.3	-0.6	-11.9
Min temp	-29.1	-31.6	-26.6	-11.1	15.7	36.9	42.5	37.2	26.1	2.4	-16.7	-28.0
Precip- tation	0.38	0.27	0.16	0.21	0.07	0.68	0.79	1.06	0.47	0.69	0.38	0.33
Snow- fall	4.5	2.3	2.3	1.9	1.2	0.1	0.0	0.2	2.6	8.4	5.3	4.2
Snow depth	14	16	17	17	9	0	0	0	0	5	9	12

WAINWRIGHT

(Northwest Arctic coast town)
Period of record: 9/1/1949 to 1/31/1969

Average annual high temperature	Average annual low temperature	Average annual total precipitation	Average annual total snowfall
17.0	4.4	6.52	Missing

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Max temp	-6.4	-14.4	-8.6	7.8	26.7	40.9	49.5	47.0	36.6	22.7	8.1	-5.7
Min temp	-21.3	-28.3	-22.7	-7.1	14.9	29.9	35.8	35.7	27.8	11.8	-4.5	-18.8
Precip- tation	0.15	0.10	0.15	0.30	0.20	0.26	1.65	2.11	0.53	0.80	0.18	0.09
Snow- fall	0.9	1.1	0.2	mm	0.2	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.2	0.0	0.0	0.8
Snow depth	6	7	8	9	10	4	0	0	0	2	4	5

Source: National Weather Service.

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