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Shaded-relief map of Gakona, Alaska: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
ALASKA · COPPER RIVER CENSUS AREA

Gakona

169 people, 1,420 ft above sea level in Copper River Census Area.

1,420 ftElevation, city center
169People, 2024 estimate
61 sq miLand area
Sunny 14°
Sunny now Dew point 11° · NNW 3 mph · high 15°
City of Gakona River Interstate 2 miles
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The Gakona plate. Relief from Copernicus GLO-30; rivers and lakes from USGS NHD; watersheds from the USGS Watershed Boundary Dataset; roads and city limits from Census TIGER 2024.

MILE1
TODAY

Today in Gakona

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 9:00 AM AKST
RIGHT NOW Gulkana Airport (PAGK) · 10:53 AM
Sunny
14° Sunny Feels like 8° · high of 15° near 1 PM
WindNNW 3 mphno gusts
Humidity87%falling to 92% this afternoon
Pressure29.26 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index0none after dark
Dew point 11° · Dryabout the same for three days
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Snow
Tomorrow, about 4 PMin about 29 hours · 36% chance · rain
LIKELY AMOUNT0–0.02 inmost likely 0; 1 in 10 over 0.1
LAST RAINNov. 110.01 in · 3 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Copper River Census Area
NWS Anchorage and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 11:15 AM
SUN & MOON
↑ 8:52 AM3:58 PM ↓
7 h 6 m of daylight, 5 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 25% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
—
Air quality index ·
No pollen source yet.

The next three days, hour by hour

Sky: clear, cloudy, night Rain likely National Blend of Models
SATURDAY, NOV. 14
SUNDAY, NOV. 15
MONDAY, NOV. 16
TUESDAY, NOV. 17
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
11a
2p
5p
8p
11p
2a
5a
8a
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
snow
rain
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy day
TEMPERATURE °F
14°
11°
16°
15°
19°
17°
CHANCE OF RAIN
36% · 0.00 in Sunday afternoon 50%
WIND, MPH
1
1
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 9 to 17°

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 15° / -2°
SAT Nov. 14 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
15° 8°
0% rain — SE 1 A
SUN Nov. 15 Chance of showers Chance of showers
18° 12°
40% rain — SSE 1 B
MON Nov. 16 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
23° 14°
20% rain — E 1 C
TUE Nov. 17 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
23° 11°
20% rain — SE 5 C
WED Nov. 18 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
25° 18°
10% rain — SSE 3 C
THU Nov. 19 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
31° 19°
30% rain — SSE 5 C
FRI Nov. 20 Chance of showers Chance of showers
27° 14°
40% rain up to 0.2″ ESE 1 C
How sure are we? AModels agree: highs within 4° BSome spread: within 8° CWide spread: check back
Range from the National Blend of Models percentiles · graded on Forecast Scores
AIR MAIL

Where today’s air came from

The air arriving over Gakona about 5,000 feet above the ground was over a point about 7,840 miles to the east three days ago, and over interior Alaska a day ago, about 9,540 miles back along its path. Most of the nine paths traced from around the city agree. It came down from about 16,100 feet up, warming and drying as it sank. Near the ground the air came from the Gulf of Alaska; at 10,000 feet, from a point about 9,790 miles to the east. It has stayed over land, which is why it feels dry. Traced back 72 hours through NOAA’s hourly RAP analyses and the GFS beyond them, nine paths at each of three heights.

THIS WEEK IN 1989 Nov. 12, 1989

The coldest this week has been

−44° on Nov. 12, 1989, the coldest reading for this week of the year since 1909. Next is −42° in 1969.

−42°
−44°
19691989
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Gulkana Area threaded record since 1909.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Gakona stands on

Gakona’s center stands about 1,420 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,380 ft to 1,870 ft, a difference of 490 ft: hilly country.

Gakona, cut in half from northwest to southeast

A section northwest to southeast, 24 miles through the town center
1,500 ft2,000 ft2,500 ft GAKONA1,420 ftGulkana Riverabout 1,590 ftHigh point of the line2,510 ft ← NWSE →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 18×.

Heights from Copernicus GLO-90 (a surface model: it includes buildings and tree canopy); summits from USGS GNIS; rivers from USGS NHDPlus HR.
MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Gakona’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1909 · Gulkana Airport, 11 mi south-southwest

Gakona has a dry-summer subarctic climate. Summer afternoons average 69° in July; winter nights fall to about −12° in January. About 12 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

5°−12°16°−5°28°1°44°21°58°33°67°43°69°47°65°42°54°33°36°18°15°−1°8°−8° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 TODAY GAKONA 11.8 in rain a year
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average69° / 47°high / low, the warmest month
January, average5° / −12°high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year11.8 inwettest months: August and July
Hottest on record97°FJuly 10, 1915
Coldest on record−65°FFebruary 3, 1947
Wettest day on record2.06 inSeptember 14, 1951
Snowiest day on record14.3 inApril 11, 1992
Nights at or below 32°238and 139 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeDry-summer subarcticKöppen Dsc

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Aug. 21, to the last in spring, about June 8 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingOct. 21 to March 26; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingSept. 18 to May 12; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretchJuly through September: 5.1 of the year’s 11.8 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Gakona normally reaches 15° and falls to −2°. The record high is 41°, in 1964; the record low −37°, in 1918. The most rain on this date, 0.41 in, fell in 2009.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high5°16°28°44°58°67°69°65°54°36°15°8°
Normal low−12°−5°1°21°33°43°47°42°33°18°−1°−8°
Rain, inches0.730.650.340.220.761.361.741.911.421.000.850.78
Record high52° (1917)53° (2017)54° (2019)70° (2003)85° (1960)90° (1969)97° (1915)88° (1976)76° (1917)69° (2003)48° (1964)49° (1999)
Record low−60° (1947)−65° (1947)−48° (1972)−42° (1944)5° (1964)22° (1919)29° (2008)20° (1984)2° (1992)−23° (1996)−45° (1917)−65° (1917)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1909 from the Gulkana Area threaded record (Gulkana Airport, 11 miles south-southwest, 160 ft higher). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Gakona on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

FORECASTCITY
Map of Gakona, Alaska. Explore the plate
ALASKA · COPPER RIVER

Gakona

169 people, 1,420 ft above sea level in Copper River Census Area.

1,420 ftElevation
169People
61 sq miLand
Sunny 14°
SunnyDew point 11°
1

Today in Gakona

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now mostly cloudy day 14° 0%
2p mostly cloudy day 15° 0%
5p mostly cloudy night 13° 1%
8p mostly cloudy night 12° 0%
11p mostly cloudy night 10° 0%
2a mostly cloudy night 11° 0%
Snow
NEXT RAINTomorrow about 4 PM · 36%
→
Sat0%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
8
15
A
Sun40%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
12
18
B
Mon20%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
14
23
C
Tue20%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
11
23
C
Wed10%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
18
25
C
Thu30%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
19
31
C
Fri40%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
14
27
C
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 1989 · NOV. 12, 1989

−44°, the coldest this week of the year has been since 1909.

2

What Gakona stands on

Gakona’s center stands about 1,420 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,380 ft to 1,870 ft, a difference of 490 ft: hilly country.

Gakona, northwest to southeast Gakona1,420 ftGulkana Riverabout 1,590 ft ← NWSE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 34×.
Elevation, center1,420 ft
Within 3 miles1,380 to 1,870 ft
Lie of the landHilly (490 ft of relief)
5

Gakona’s year

Gakona has a dry-summer subarctic climate. Summer afternoons average 69° in July; winter nights fall to about −12° in January. About 12 inches of rain fall in a normal year.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 11.8 in
July, average69° / 47° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average5° / −12° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain a year11.8 in · wettest months: August and July
Hottest on record97°F · July 10, 1915
Coldest on record−65°F · February 3, 1947
Wettest day on record2.06 in · September 14, 1951
Snowiest day on record14.3 in · April 11, 1992
Nights at or below 32°238 · and 139 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeDry-summer subarctic · Köppen Dsc
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Aug. 21, to the last in spring, about June 8 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Oct. 21 to March 26; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Sept. 18 to May 12; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretch · July through September: 5.1 of the year’s 11.8 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Gakona normally reaches 15° and falls to −2°. The record high is 41°, in 1964; the record low −37°, in 1918. The most rain on this date, 0.41 in, fell in 2009.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1909 from the Gulkana Area threaded record (Gulkana Airport, 11 miles south-southwest, 160 ft higher). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.