Plan and Plant

Plan your vegetable garden in Alaska

All the statistical weather information you need to prepare a bulletproof plan for your garden in Alaska

Temperature range in Alaska

Alaska has temperatures ranging from -13°F to 73°F, with approximately 127 frost free days.

Alaska has 3 days with average temperature range from 50°F to 90°F that are suitable for growing warm season vegetables and 81 days with average temperature range from 40°F to 80°F that are suitable for growing cool season vegetables

Chart displaying weekly air temperature in Alaska — Alaska air temperature chart based on weather statistics from 2019 to 2023

Total frost free days (after last frost and before first frost)	127
Total days suitable to grow warm season vegetables	3
Total days suitable to grow cool season vegetables	81
Day with highest recorded temperature in past 4 years	July 08: 73°F
Day with lowest recorded temperature in past 4 years	January 07: -13°F
First expected frost date	September 22
Last expected frost date	May 18

Notable temperature facts for gardening in Alaska

Warm season vegetables you can grow in Alaska

Chart displaying days suitable for growing warm season vegetables in Alaska — Days suitable for growing warm season vegetables in Alaska

Cool season vegetables you can grow in Alaska

Chart displaying days suitable for growing cool season vegetables in Alaska — Days suitable for growing cool season vegetables in Alaska

Cool season vegetables can be planted in Alaska after June 16 when average air temperature is consistently above 40°F (4°C) and soil temperature is above 45°F (7°C)

Good temperature range for cool season vegetables is between 40°F and 80°F. With cool season vegetables it is important to avoid high air temperatures because exposure to high temperatures is most likely to stun growth, cause bitterness and encourage premature bolting in some plants. Plan your cool vegetable planting so they are harvested before hot weather stretch, provide them with additional shading.

Cool season vegetables that can be planted directly into soil in Alaska

Arugula

Peas

Beets

Kale

Lettuce

Radish

Spinach

Swiss chard

Turnip

Rhubarb

Parsley

Chives

Coriander

Endive

Kohlrabi

Cool season vegetables that need to be started indoors before transplanting outdoors in Alaska

Broccoli

Carrot

Rutabaga

Parsnip

Leeks

Mustard

Table with days suitable to grow vegetables in Alaska

Tolerable temperature range for cool season vegetables: 40°F to 80°F

Tolerable temperature range for warm season vegetables: 50°F to 90°F

	Week	Average temperature	Possible min and max temperature	Suitable for cool season vegetables
1	January 01 - January 03	8°F to 16°F	-9°F to 32°F
2	January 04 - January 10	2°F to 9°F	-13°F to 24°F
3	January 11 - January 17	11°F to 18°F	-13°F to 28°F
4	January 18 - January 24	11°F to 19°F	-3°F to 33°F
5	January 25 - January 31	11°F to 18°F	-7°F to 34°F
6	February 01 - February 07	10°F to 18°F	-8°F to 30°F
7	February 08 - February 14	9°F to 18°F	-9°F to 33°F
8	February 15 - February 21	12°F to 21°F	-4°F to 31°F
9	February 22 - February 28	14°F to 23°F	-4°F to 34°F
10	March 01 - March 07	13°F to 23°F	-3°F to 33°F
11	March 08 - March 14	15°F to 25°F	-2°F to 34°F
12	March 15 - March 21	17°F to 27°F	4°F to 39°F
13	March 22 - March 28	22°F to 32°F	8°F to 40°F
14	March 29 - April 04	21°F to 31°F	8°F to 43°F
15	April 05 - April 11	18°F to 29°F	2°F to 41°F
16	April 12 - April 18	26°F to 36°F	15°F to 44°F
17	April 19 - April 25	27°F to 39°F	18°F to 46°F
18	April 26 - May 02	29°F to 41°F	23°F to 49°F
19	May 03 - May 09	32°F to 43°F	27°F to 50°F
20	May 10 - May 16	35°F to 47°F	29°F to 55°F
21	May 17 - May 23	37°F to 50°F	31°F to 56°F
22	May 24 - May 30	40°F to 52°F	35°F to 59°F	TRUE
23	May 31 - June 06	42°F to 54°F	35°F to 63°F	TRUE
24	June 07 - June 13	43°F to 55°F	39°F to 62°F	TRUE
25	June 14 - June 20	46°F to 57°F	39°F to 62°F	TRUE
26	June 21 - June 27	47°F to 58°F	42°F to 66°F	TRUE
27	June 28 - July 04	49°F to 60°F	43°F to 69°F	TRUE
28	July 05 - July 11	49°F to 60°F	43°F to 73°F	TRUE
29	July 12 - July 18	49°F to 59°F	45°F to 65°F	TRUE
30	July 19 - July 25	49°F to 59°F	43°F to 66°F	TRUE
31	July 26 - August 01	49°F to 58°F	43°F to 64°F	TRUE
32	August 02 - August 08	49°F to 59°F	43°F to 67°F	TRUE
33	August 09 - August 15	47°F to 57°F	41°F to 64°F	TRUE
34	August 16 - August 22	46°F to 56°F	41°F to 62°F	TRUE
35	August 23 - August 29	46°F to 55°F	38°F to 62°F	TRUE
36	August 30 - September 05	45°F to 53°F	40°F to 59°F	TRUE
37	September 06 - September 12	42°F to 51°F	37°F to 56°F	TRUE
38	September 13 - September 19	40°F to 49°F	34°F to 55°F	TRUE
39	September 20 - September 26	36°F to 45°F	29°F to 50°F
40	September 27 - October 03	35°F to 44°F	28°F to 50°F
41	October 04 - October 10	34°F to 42°F	28°F to 49°F
42	October 11 - October 17	29°F to 37°F	23°F to 43°F
43	October 18 - October 24	28°F to 35°F	21°F to 40°F
44	October 25 - October 31	26°F to 33°F	15°F to 42°F
45	November 01 - November 07	21°F to 28°F	7°F to 38°F
46	November 08 - November 14	21°F to 28°F	7°F to 38°F
47	November 15 - November 21	14°F to 21°F	-1°F to 34°F
48	November 22 - November 28	16°F to 23°F	-5°F to 34°F
49	November 29 - December 05	12°F to 20°F	-7°F to 34°F
50	December 06 - December 12	13°F to 21°F	-3°F to 34°F
51	December 13 - December 19	9°F to 17°F	-9°F to 28°F
52	December 20 - December 26	7°F to 16°F	-7°F to 32°F
53	December 27 - December 31	10°F to 18°F	-7°F to 33°F