- Best time to visit Katmai: July to September. The weather is at its most comfortable then, and crowds are lighter than at the peak.
- Busiest month: July, with about 13,283 visits in a typical recent year. That is 3.0 times as many as June.
- Quietest month: January (20 visits), when weather or closures keep most people away.
- Cold: average highs stay below 40°F in January to March, November and December.
- Snow: January to March, November and December average 6 inches or more of snow at the station.
- Wettest month: September, with 3.4 inches on average.
Bar height: visitors that month, compared with the busiest month. Temperatures: average daily high and low (°F); rain and snow: monthly averages. Best marks the months we suggest.
Month by month
| Month | Crowds | Visits (typical) | High / low (°F) | Precipitation | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Very quiet | 20 | 24° / 10° | 0.9 in | 9 in |
| February | Very quiet | 20 | 30° / 15° | 0.9 in | 7 in |
| March | Very quiet | 20 | 32° / 15° | 0.8 in | 7 in |
| April | Very quiet | 21 | 44° / 28° | 1.0 in | 4 in |
| May | Very quiet | 130 | 55° / 36° | 1.4 in | 1 in |
| June | Quiet | 4,360 | 62° / 44° | 1.8 in | 0 in |
| July ★ | Busiest | 13,283 | 65° / 49° | 2.5 in | 0 in |
| August ★ | Busy | 10,424 | 63° / 48° | 3.3 in | 0 in |
| September ★ | Moderate | 5,894 | 56° / 41° | 3.4 in | 0 in |
| October | Very quiet | 247 | 44° / 29° | 2.3 in | 2 in |
| November | Very quiet | 20 | 32° / 18° | 1.7 in | 7 in |
| December | Very quiet | 20 | 26° / 11° | 1.4 in | 10 in |
Weather figures are NOAA 1991 to 2020 climate normals for the King Salmon station (63 feet above sea level), 1 miles from King Salmon Visitor Center. Visitor numbers are the median of 2022 to 2025 monthly recreation visits from the National Park Service.
By season
- Spring (March to May): 0% of the year’s visits; average highs 32° to 55°F.
- Summer (June to August): 81% of the year’s visits; average highs 62° to 65°F.
- Fall (September to November): 18% of the year’s visits; average highs 32° to 56°F.
- Winter (December to February): 0% of the year’s visits; average highs 24° to 30°F.
Weekends and holidays
Even in a quiet month, holiday weekends fill parking lots and campgrounds. The 2027 federal holidays to plan around:
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day: Monday, January 18
- Presidents Day: Monday, February 15
- Memorial Day: Monday, May 31
- Juneteenth: Saturday, June 19
- Independence Day: Sunday, July 4 (observed Monday, July 5)
- Labor Day: Monday, September 6
- Columbus Day and Indigenous Peoples Day: Monday, October 11
- Veterans Day: Thursday, November 11
- Thanksgiving: Thursday, November 25
See the crowd calendar for all 64 parks.
Weather, in the park service’s words
Located between the stormy north Pacific Ocean and the even stormier Bering Sea, the Katmai region is often a battleground between weather systems. When you visit, be prepared to encounter all types of weather. On average, wet and cool conditions predominate in spring, summer, and fall. Winters are drier and colder.
From the National Park Service (public domain).
Today at Katmai
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Alerts: National Park Service, checked hourly. Forecast: National Weather Service, for the middle of the park. Always confirm on the official park site before you set out.
Sources
- National Park Service visitor use statistics (IRMA): monthly recreation visits, 2022 to 2025
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991 to 2020 (monthly)
- National Park Service Data API: weather overview (public domain)
Last checked 1 November 2026.