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Shaded-relief map of McGrath, Alaska: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
ALASKA · YUKON-KOYUKUK CENSUS AREA

McGrath

284 people, 340 ft above sea level in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area.

340 ftElevation, city center
284People, 2024 estimate
43 sq miLand area
Sunny 22°
Sunny now Dew point 16° · Calm · high 21°
City of McGrath River Interstate 2 miles
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The McGrath 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 McGrath

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 11:00 AM AKST
RIGHT NOW McGrath Airport (PAMC) · 10:53 AM
Sunny
22° Sunny Feels like 22° · high of 21° near 2 PM
WindCalmno gusts
Humidity78%falling to 84% this afternoon
Pressure29.45 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index0none after dark
Dew point 16° · Dryabout the same for three days
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Overcast
Tomorrow, about 10 PMin about 34 hours · 39% chance · rain
LIKELY AMOUNT0–0.02 inmost likely 0; 1 in 10 over 0.04
LAST RAINNov. 120.02 in · 2 dry days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
! Winter Weather AdvisoryWinter Weather Advisory issued November 14 at 4:20AM AKST until November 14 at 9:00PM AKST by NWS Fairbanks AK
! Winter Weather AdvisoryWinter Weather Advisory issued November 14 at 4:20AM AKST until November 14 at 9:00PM AKST by NWS Fairbanks AK
NWS Fairbanks and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 11:45 AM
SUN & MOON
↑ 9:38 AM4:35 PM ↓
6 h 57 m of daylight, 6 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 night
overcast
overcast
mostly cloudy night
overcast
snow
snow
overcast
overcast
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
TEMPERATURE °F
20°
16°
18°
18°
20°
18°
CHANCE OF RAIN
39% · 0.00 in Sunday night 50%
WIND, MPH
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
5
5
5
6
6
6
5
5
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 14 to 18°

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 15° / 1°
SAT Nov. 14 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
21° 14°
0% rain — SW 0 A
SUN Nov. 15 Chance of showers Chance of showers
19° 16°
40% rain — N 3 B
MON Nov. 16 Chance of showers Chance of showers
21° 16°
40% rain up to 0.1″ NNW 4 C
TUE Nov. 17 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
21° 14°
0% rain — ENE 5 B
WED Nov. 18 Chance of showers Chance of showers
28° 22°
50% rain up to 0.1″ ENE 5 C
THU Nov. 19 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
28° 20°
20% rain — SSE 5 C
FRI Nov. 20 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
25° 16°
10% rain — ESE 5 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 McGrath about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the Bering Sea three days ago, about 1,110 miles back along its path. Most of the nine paths traced from around the city agree. It came down from about 9,900 feet up, warming and drying as it sank. Near the ground the air came from interior Alaska; at 10,000 feet, from the Bering Sea. It feels dry all the same. 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 2014 Nov. 12, 2014

The hottest this week has been

50° on Nov. 12, 2014, the hottest reading for this week of the year since 1939. Next is 49° in 1967.

49°
50°
19672014
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Mcgrath Area threaded record since 1939.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What McGrath stands on

McGrath’s center stands about 340 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 320 ft to 640 ft, a difference of 320 ft: rolling country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Takotna Mountain, about 3,180 ft, 13 miles west.

McGrath, cut in half from southwest to northeast

A section southwest to northeast, 24 miles through the town center
500 ft1,000 ft1,500 ft MCGRATH340 ftHigh point of the line1,720 ft ← SWNE →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 14×.

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

McGrath’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1939 · Mcgrath Airport

McGrath has a subarctic climate. Summer afternoons average 69° in June; winter nights fall to about −14° in January. A normal year brings about 86 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 18 inches of water.

3°−14°15°−6°24°−1°43°22°59°38°69°49°69°52°64°48°54°38°35°22°15°1°5°−10° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 TODAY MCGRATH 18.1 in rain and snowmelt
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
June, average69° / 49°high / low, the warmest month
January, average3° / −14°high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow18.1 inwettest months: August and September
Snow a year86.5 insnowiest: November
Hottest on record94°FJune 17, 2013
Coldest on record−75°FJanuary 27, 1989
Wettest day on record1.73 inSeptember 21, 2000
Snowiest day on record16.2 inJanuary 3, 2005
Nights at or below 32°221and 149 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeSubarcticKöppen Dfc

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Sept. 8, to the last in spring, about May 17 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingOct. 19 to April 1; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingSept. 30 to April 30; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretchJuly through September: 7.9 of the year’s 18.1 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 McGrath normally reaches 15° and falls to 1°. The record high is 43°, in 1965; the record low −33°, in 1956. The most rain on this date, 0.41 in, fell in 1961.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high3°15°24°43°59°69°69°64°54°35°15°5°
Normal low−14°−6°−1°22°38°49°52°48°38°22°1°−10°
Rain and melt, in1.150.870.680.740.911.662.502.912.531.461.431.21
Snow, inches14.712.79.24.40.60.00.00.01.47.418.217.9
Record high54° (1945)55° (1943)55° (1998)68° (2009)86° (2013)94° (2013)90° (2024)89° (1977)76° (1957)67° (2009)50° (2014)49° (1977)
Record low−75° (1989)−64° (1947)−51° (1966)−40° (1985)−2° (2001)27° (2006)31° (2003)25° (1984)2° (1992)−28° (1982)−53° (1990)−67° (1961)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1939 from the Mcgrath Area threaded record (Mcgrath Airport, here). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around McGrath on the Forecast Network

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FORECASTCITY
Map of McGrath, Alaska. Explore the plate
ALASKA · YUKON-KOYUKUK

McGrath

284 people, 340 ft above sea level in Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area.

340 ftElevation
284People
43 sq miLand
Sunny 22°
SunnyDew point 16°
1

Today in McGrath

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now mostly cloudy day 20° 0%
2p mostly cloudy day 21° 0%
5p mostly cloudy night 20° 0%
8p mostly cloudy night 18° 0%
11p mostly cloudy night 17° 0%
2a mostly cloudy night 16° 0%
Overcast
NEXT RAINTomorrow about 10 PM · 39%
→
Sat0%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
14
21
A
Sun40%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
16
19
B
Mon40%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
16
21
C
Tue0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
14
21
B
Wed50%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
22
28
C
Thu20%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
20
28
C
Fri10%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
16
25
C
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 2014 · NOV. 12, 2014

50°, the hottest this week of the year has been since 1939.

2

What McGrath stands on

McGrath’s center stands about 340 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 320 ft to 640 ft, a difference of 320 ft: rolling country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Takotna Mountain, about 3,180 ft, 13 miles west.

McGrath, southwest to northeast McGrath340 ft ← SWNE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 26×.
Elevation, center340 ft
Within 3 miles320 to 640 ft
Lie of the landRolling (320 ft of relief)
High point nearbyTakotna Mountain, 3,180 ft, 13 mi west
5

McGrath’s year

McGrath has a subarctic climate. Summer afternoons average 69° in June; winter nights fall to about −14° in January. A normal year brings about 86 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 18 inches of water.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 18.1 in
June, average69° / 49° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average3° / −14° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow18.1 in · wettest months: August and September
Snow a year86.5 in · snowiest: November
Hottest on record94°F · June 17, 2013
Coldest on record−75°F · January 27, 1989
Wettest day on record1.73 in · September 21, 2000
Snowiest day on record16.2 in · January 3, 2005
Nights at or below 32°221 · and 149 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeSubarctic · Köppen Dfc
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Sept. 8, to the last in spring, about May 17 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Oct. 19 to April 1; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Sept. 30 to April 30; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretch · July through September: 7.9 of the year’s 18.1 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 McGrath normally reaches 15° and falls to 1°. The record high is 43°, in 1965; the record low −33°, in 1956. The most rain on this date, 0.41 in, fell in 1961.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1939 from the Mcgrath Area threaded record (Mcgrath Airport, here). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.