Skip to main content

Frost Depth in Alaska: When the Ground Freezes

2 of 4 stations freeze at 2 inches in a typical winter, 2 of them to 8 inches or deeper.

Stations that typically freeze
2 of 4
Earliest typical freeze at 2 in
Sep 30
Latest typical thaw at 2 in
May 21

Station by station

When does the ground freeze in Alaska?

Each bar runs from the typical first freeze to the typical last thaw at that depth, the median over the station's complete winters on record, with the typical number of frozen days after it. Frost reaches the deeper probes later in the winter. A depth that froze in fewer than half of its winters has no typical dates. Stations: 2 typically freeze, 1 froze in some winters, 1 with too few winters to say.

Kanuti Lake

SCAN

Typically freezes at every depth measured, down to 40 inches.

2 in
2 inches: typically frozen from Sep 30 to May 21, a median of 234 frozen days.234 days
4 in
4 inches: typically frozen from Sep 30 to Jun 4, a median of 248 frozen days.248 days
8 in
8 inches: typically frozen from Sep 30 to Jun 29, a median of 270 frozen days.270 days
20 in
20 inches: typically frozen from Sep 27 to stays frozen, a median of 301 frozen days.301 days
40 in
40 inches: typically frozen from Sep 19 to stays frozen, a median of 324 frozen days.324 days
Nov 3, 2026: At least 40 in (every depth)

Kenai 29 ENE

USCRN

Typically freezes to 8 inches, not to 20.

2 in
2 inches: typically frozen from Dec 8 to Apr 26, a median of 137 frozen days.137 days
4 in
4 inches: typically frozen from Dec 11 to May 2, a median of 143 frozen days.143 days
8 in
8 inches: typically frozen from Feb 18 to May 7, a median of 50 frozen days.50 days
20 inFroze in 2 of 5 winters, no typical dates
40 inFroze in 1 of 5 winters, no typical dates
Nov 3, 2026: Not frozen

Moose Inc

SCAN

Froze at 2 inches in 2 of 2 complete winters on record.

2 in
Each frozen winter's first freeze to last thaw at 2 inches.

2 in: froze in 2 of 2

Nov 3, 2026: Not frozen

Schor Garden

SCAN

0 complete winters on record, too few for typical dates.

Nov 3, 2026: No 2-inch reading today

A winter runs July to June. Our station readings come from one grass-covered site per station at five fixed depths, and often show shallower frost than regional figures.

More on frost depth

Where the ground is frozen today across the US · Alaska soil temperature · First frost and frost depth guide