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

Planting zone for 99783 — Wales, AK

ZIP code 99783 (Wales, Nome (CA) County) is in USDA zone 3b: the coldest winter night averages −35 to −30 °F.

Where ZIP 99783 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.

Zone3b−35 to −30 °F
Coldest night−37.2 to −34.4 °C
Last frostrare
First frostrare
2012 zone3b

Same zone as on the 2012 map. The zone is the one at the center of the ZIP code; hilly ZIPs can span two zones. What zone 3b means →

Frost forecast — next 7 nights

live from the National Weather Service

Loading the forecast for Wales, 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 Wales, 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 3b in Alaska

172 plants native to Alaska, recorded in Alaska, and rated by the USDA to survive −35 °F or colder — the bottom of zone 3b. 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 32

alpine bearberry0.5 ft · blooms early spring · medium shade tolerance · to −62 °FBarclay's willow15 ft · high shade tolerance · to −43 °Fblack crowberry1 ft · blooms mid summer · high shade tolerance · to −43 °Fblack hawthorn15 ft · blooms mid spring · medium shade tolerance · to −47 °Fbog blueberry2 ft · blooms early summer · medium shade tolerance · to −38 °Fchokecherry25 ft · blooms mid spring · high shade tolerance · to −43 °F

Wildflowers & perennials 64

alkali buttercup1 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °Falpine bistort1 ft · blooms mid spring · high shade tolerance · to −38 °Falpine mountainsorrel1 ft · blooms mid summer · medium shade tolerance · to −43 °Falpine sweetvetch2 ft · blooms early summer · high shade tolerance · to −62 °FAmerican speedwell0.8 ft · blooms mid summer · low shade tolerance · to −38 °FAmerican vetch1.3 ft · blooms late spring · high shade tolerance · to −38 °F

Grasses 61

alpine timothy1.4 ft · blooms late spring · medium shade tolerance · to −43 °Farctic bluegrass2 ft · high shade tolerance · to −62 °Fawlfruit sedge4 ft · blooms mid spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °Fbeaked sedge4 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °Fbearded fescue1.2 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °FBebb's sedge3 ft · blooms late spring · low shade tolerance · to −38 °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 Wales, AK.

Soil in Wales, AK

The soil mapped at the center of ZIP 99783 is E41-arctic tussock-scrub-silty frozen slopes — peat, very poorly drained.

TexturePeattop layer
DrainageVery poorly drainedconsider raised beds
Organic matter75%high
Hydrologic groupB/Dmoderate when drained; wet otherwise
Farmland classNot prime farmlandUSDA classification

Map unit: Seward Peninsula Highlands-Arctic Upland-Rounded Mountains, Acid.

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 99783; soils change within a few hundred feet, so a home soil test (pH, nutrients) is still the best guide.

Climate in Wales, AK

Longest day23 h 13 mindaylight on June 21
Shortest day3 h 07 mindaylight on December 21
Onions to growLong-daysummer days reach 15+ hours, enough for long-day varieties (intermediate types work too)

Daylight is calculated from latitude.

Nearby ZIP codes

1 of the 1 nearest ZIP codes are in a different zone — elevation and distance from water change winter lows quickly.

997853a
Brevig Mission, AK · 48 mi

Alaska planting zones →

Questions about 99783

What planting zone is ZIP code 99783?

ZIP code 99783 (Wales, AK) is in USDA hardiness zone 3b on the 2023 map: the coldest night of an average winter reaches −35 to −30 °F (−37.2 to −34.4 °C).

What kind of soil does 99783 have?

The USDA soil survey maps E41-arctic tussock-scrub-silty frozen slopes at the center of ZIP 99783: peat, very poorly drained.

What kind of onions grow in Wales, AK?

Long-day onions: the longest day near 99783 is 23 h 13 min, so summer days reach 15+ hours, enough for long-day varieties (intermediate types work too).