Data: 2023 USDA zones (PRISM/OSU) · NOAA 1991–2020 normals · updated

Planting zone for 99519 — Anchorage, AK

ZIP code 99519 (Anchorage, Anchorage Municipality) is in USDA zone 2a: the coldest winter night averages −50 to −45 °F.

Where ZIP 99519 is

Outlined: the ZIP code area · tap the map for the zone at any spot · scroll or pinch to zoom

Not the official USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map. Zones come from the 2023 USDA hardiness-zone data by the PRISM Group, Oregon State University; we re-mapped and recolored them. The official map is at planthardiness.ars.usda.gov.

Zone2a−50 to −45 °F
Coldest night−45.6 to −42.8 °C
Last frostrare
First frostrare
2012 zone5a

Was 5a on the 2012 map — 3 zones colder now. The zone is the one at the center of the ZIP code; hilly ZIPs can span two zones. What zone 2a means →

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Anchorage, AK…

Forecast data: National Weather Service (api.weather.gov), public domain. This is not a warning service — for official frost and freeze warnings see weather.gov.

Frost dates

No NOAA station with frost records lies within 90 miles of Anchorage, AK, so we don't show frost dates here rather than guess. Your local extension office can give you a date.

Native plants for zone 2a in Alaska

44 plants native to Alaska, recorded in Alaska, and rated by the USDA to survive −50 °F or colder — the bottom of zone 2a. Each links to its USDA PLANTS profile.

Trees 8

balsam poplar80 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to −79 °Fblack spruce65 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −79 °Flodgepole pine99 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −70 °Fpaper birch70 ft · blooms mid spring · high shade tolerance · to −62 °Fquaking aspen65 ft · blooms mid spring · high shade tolerance · to −70 °Fsubalpine fir90 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −51 °F

Shrubs 16

alpine bearberry0.5 ft · blooms early spring · medium shade tolerance · to −62 °Fhalberd willow3 ft · blooms early summer · to −62 °FLapland rosebay3 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −62 °Flingonberry0.5 ft · blooms summer · high shade tolerance · to −62 °FMacKenzie's willow45 ft · blooms early spring · high shade tolerance · to −50 °Fmarsh Labrador tea0.5 ft · blooms summer · to −62 °F

Wildflowers & perennials 12

alpine sweetvetch2 ft · blooms early summer · high shade tolerance · to −62 °Farctic dock1 ft · blooms summer · high shade tolerance · to −62 °Farctic lupine2 ft · blooms spring · medium shade tolerance · to −62 °Farctic poppy1.5 ft · blooms summer · low shade tolerance · to −54 °Farctic raspberry1 ft · blooms summer · high shade tolerance · to −62 °Feightpetal mountain-avens0.3 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −62 °F

Grasses 6

arctic bluegrass2 ft · high shade tolerance · to −62 °FHoppner's sedge1 ft · high shade tolerance · to −52 °Flargeflower speargrass2 ft · high shade tolerance · to −52 °Flivid sedge1 ft · blooms early summer · high shade tolerance · to −62 °FLyngbye's sedge1 ft · high shade tolerance · to −52 °FRamensk's sedge1 ft · high shade tolerance · to −52 °F

Source: USDA, NRCS. 2026. The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov), National Plant Data Team — state distribution, native status and the “Temperature, Minimum” characteristic. Check light, moisture and soil needs before buying; local nurseries and your state native plant society can confirm what thrives in Anchorage, AK.

Soil in Anchorage, AK

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 99519 is E45-Arctic tussock-scrub-silty frozen slopes — peat, very poorly drained.

TexturePeattop layer
pH3.9strongly acidic; most vegetables like 6.0–7.0
DrainageVery poorly drainedconsider raised beds
Organic matter80%high
Hydrologic groupC/Dslow when drained; wet otherwise
Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Arctic Foothills-Arctic Upland-Loess Plains and Hills.

Soil Survey Staff, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA. Soil Survey Geographic (SSURGO) Database, via Soil Data Access, accessed 2026-10-29. The soil at the center point of ZIP 99519; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Anchorage, AK

Summer high57 °Faverage high, July
Winter low−22 °Faverage low, January
Hot days0days a year at 90 °F or more
Freezing nights286nights a year at 32 °F or less
Growing degree days129base 50 °F — the season’s usable heat
Longest day24 h 00 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day0 h 00 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growLong-daysummer days reach 15+ hours, enough for long-day varieties (intermediate types work too)
Precipitation4.7 inper year, rain and melted snow
Snowfall36 inper year; 239 days with snow on the ground

Average high and low, by month

−30°−20°−10°0°10°20°30°40°50°60°70°32 °FJanuary: average high -9 °F, low -22 °F −9°−22° JanFebruary: average high -9 °F, low -22 °F −9°−22° FebMarch: average high -6 °F, low -20 °F −6°−20° MarApril: average high 10 °F, low -4 °F 10°−4° AprMay: average high 29 °F, low 19 °F 29°19° MayJune: average high 48 °F, low 33 °F 48°33° JunJuly: average high 57 °F, low 40 °F 57°40° JulAugust: average high 51 °F, low 38 °F 51°38° AugSeptember: average high 40 °F, low 30 °F 40°30° SepOctober: average high 24 °F, low 14 °F 24°14° OctNovember: average high 8 °F, low -5 °F 8°−5° NovDecember: average high -4 °F, low -16 °F −4°−16° Dec

Precipitation by month inches · ❄ = snowfall

0″1″2″January: 0.15 in precipitation, 2.9 in snowfall 0.1❄3 JanFebruary: 0.14 in precipitation, 3 in snowfall 0.1❄3 FebMarch: 0.11 in precipitation, 2.7 in snowfall 0.1❄3 MarApril: 0.16 in precipitation, 3.6 in snowfall 0.2❄4 AprMay: 0.15 in precipitation, 2.1 in snowfall 0.1❄2 MayJune: 0.34 in precipitation, 0.6 in snowfall 0.3❄1 JunJuly: 0.95 in precipitation 0.9 JulAugust: 1.21 in precipitation, 0.3 in snowfall 1.2 AugSeptember: 0.59 in precipitation, 2.8 in snowfall 0.6❄3 SepOctober: 0.41 in precipitation, 7.5 in snowfall 0.4❄8 OctNovember: 0.28 in precipitation, 6.1 in snowfall 0.3❄6 NovDecember: 0.22 in precipitation, 3.9 in snowfall 0.2❄4 Dec

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — temperature: Kuparuk, AK (22 mi away); precipitation: Kuparuk, AK (22 mi away). Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

All 2 nearest ZIP codes share zone 2a.

997342a
Prudhoe Bay, AK · 31 mi
997892a
Nuiqsut, AK · 31 mi

All 25 ZIP codes in Anchorage → · Alaska planting zones →

Questions about 99519

What planting zone is ZIP code 99519?

ZIP code 99519 (Anchorage, AK) is in USDA hardiness zone 2a on the 2023 map: the coldest night of an average winter reaches −50 to −45 °F (−45.6 to −42.8 °C).

How much rain and snow does 99519 get?

About 4.7 inches of precipitation a year and 36 inches of snowfall (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Kuparuk station).

How hot do summers get in Anchorage, AK?

The average high peaks at 57 °F in July, with about 0 days a year at 90 °F or more.

What kind of soil does 99519 have?

The USDA soil survey maps E45-Arctic tussock-scrub-silty frozen slopes at the center of ZIP 99519: peat, very poorly drained, pH about 3.9 (strongly acidic).

What kind of onions grow in Anchorage, AK?

Long-day onions: the longest day near 99519 is 24 h 00 min, so summer days reach 15+ hours, enough for long-day varieties (intermediate types work too).

Did the zone for 99519 change?

Yes. The 2012 USDA map put 99519 in zone 5a; the 2023 map puts it in zone 2a. The newer map uses 1991–2020 data and more weather stations.