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

Willow Creek

190 people, 1,430 ft above sea level in Copper River Census Area.

1,430 ftElevation, city center
190People, 2024 estimate
37 sq miLand area
Sunny 15°
Sunny now Dew point 14° · Calm · high 17°
City of Willow Creek River Interstate 1 miles
Explore the plate Order a print

The Willow Creek 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 Willow Creek

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 12:00 PM AKST
RIGHT NOW Gulkana Airport (PAGK) · 12:53 PM
Sunny
15° Sunny Feels like 15° · high of 17° near 1 PM
WindCalmno gusts
Humidity95%falling to 88% this afternoon
Pressure29.28 in →steady
Visibility4 mihazy
CloudsClear
UV index0none after dark
Dew point 14° · Dryabout the same for three days
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Snow
Tomorrow, around noonin about 23 hours · 56% chance · rain
LIKELY AMOUNT0–0.04 inmost likely 0.02; 1 in 10 over 0.06
LAST RAIN—none in 0 days
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Copper River Census Area
NWS Anchorage and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 1:15 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 8:48 AM4:02 PM ↓
7 h 13 m of daylight, 5 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 26% 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
1p
4p
7p
10p
1a
4a
7a
10a
1p
4p
7p
10p
1a
4a
7a
10a
1p
4p
7p
10p
1a
4a
7a
10a
mostly cloudy day
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
overcast
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy day
snow
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
rain
snow
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
partly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy night
mostly cloudy day
TEMPERATURE °F
17°
14°
17°
16°
19°
18°
CHANCE OF RAIN
56% · 0.02 in Sunday afternoon 50%
WIND, MPH
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 11 to 17°

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 80° / 62°
SAT Nov. 14 Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
17° 12°
10% rain — NW 1 A
SUN Nov. 15 Chance of showers Chance of showers
17° 13°
60% rain — WNW 0 A
MON Nov. 16 Chance of showers Chance of showers
22° 15°
40% rain — S 1 C
TUE Nov. 17 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
21° 14°
30% rain — S 1 C
WED Nov. 18 Chance of showers Chance of showers
25° 21°
30% rain — SSE 6 C
THU Nov. 19 Chance of showers Chance of showers
31° 20°
60% rain up to 0.2″ SSE 3 C
FRI Nov. 20 Chance of showers Chance of showers
25° 15°
50% rain up to 0.2″ WNW 2 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 Willow Creek about 5,000 feet above the ground was over the North Slope three days ago, and over interior Alaska a day ago, about 830 miles back along its path. The nine paths traced from around the city fan out, so treat that as a best guess. It came down from about 16,700 feet up, warming and drying as it sank. Near the ground the air came from southcentral Alaska; at 10,000 feet, from a point about 9,290 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 Willow Creek stands on

Willow Creek’s center stands about 1,430 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,260 ft to 3,240 ft, a difference of 1,980 ft: steep hill country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Mount DuRelle, about 3,960 ft, 9 miles southwest.

Willow Creek, cut in half from southwest to northeast

A section southwest to northeast, 24 miles through the town center
1,000 ft2,000 ft3,000 ft WILLOW CREEK1,430 ftStuck Mountain3,820 ftCopper Riverabout 900 ft ← SWNE →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 7×.

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

Willow Creek’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1909 · Gulkana Airport, 25 mi north-northwest

Willow Creek 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 WILLOW CREEK 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 Willow Creek 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, 25 miles north-northwest, 150 ft higher). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Willow Creek on the Forecast Network

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

Willow Creek

190 people, 1,430 ft above sea level in Copper River Census Area.

1,430 ftElevation
190People
37 sq miLand
Sunny 15°
SunnyDew point 14°
1

Today in Willow Creek

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now mostly cloudy day 17° 1%
4p mostly cloudy night 15° 0%
7p partly cloudy night 13° 0%
10p mostly cloudy night 13° 0%
1a mostly cloudy night 14° 0%
4a mostly cloudy night 15° 0%
Snow
NEXT RAINTomorrow around noon · 56%
→
Sat10%
Mostly cloudy Mostly cloudy
12
17
A
Sun60%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
13
17
A
Mon40%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
15
22
C
Tue30%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
14
21
C
Wed30%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
21
25
C
Thu60%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
20
31
C
Fri50%
Chance of showers Chance of showers
15
25
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 Willow Creek stands on

Willow Creek’s center stands about 1,430 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 1,260 ft to 3,240 ft, a difference of 1,980 ft: steep hill country. The highest named summit within 15 miles is Mount DuRelle, about 3,960 ft, 9 miles southwest.

Willow Creek, southwest to northeast Willow Creek1,430 ftCopper Riverabout 900 ft ← SWNE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 13×.
Elevation, center1,430 ft
Within 3 miles1,260 to 3,240 ft
Lie of the landSteep hill country (1,980 ft of relief)
High point nearbyMount DuRelle, 3,960 ft, 9 mi southwest
5

Willow Creek’s year

Willow Creek 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 Willow Creek 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, 25 miles north-northwest, 150 ft higher). NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.