Nelchina, Alaska facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Nelchina
Xaz Ghae Na’
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|---|---|
 Nelchina, Alaska
Location in Alaska
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| Country | United States |
| State | Alaska |
| Census Area | Copper River |
| Area | |
| • Total | 47.90 sq mi (124.05 km2) |
| • Land | 47.40 sq mi (122.75 km2) |
| • Water | 0.50 sq mi (1.30 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,402 ft (732 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 45 |
| • Density | 0.95/sq mi (0.37/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-9 (Alaska (AKST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-8 (AKDT) |
| Zip Code |
99588
|
| Area code(s) | 907 |
| FIPS code | 02-52915 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1865559 |
Nelchina (Ahtena: Xaz Ghae Na’) is a small community in Alaska, United States. Its name in the Ahtna language is Xaz Ghae Na’. It is called a census-designated place (CDP) because it's an area the government tracks for population data. In 2020, about 45 people lived there. This number was a bit smaller than in 2010, when 59 people called Nelchina home.
Contents
Where is Nelchina Located?
Nelchina is in the Copper River Census Area, Alaska. It sits at an elevation of 2,402 feet (732 meters) above sea level. You can find it along the Glenn Highway, where the Little Nelchina River meets Crooked Creek.
Nelchina's Surroundings
The community is about 30 miles (48 km) west of Glennallen. It's also just east of the Mat-Su Borough boundary. Nelchina is part of the Chitina Recording District.
Land and Water Area
The total area of Nelchina is about 46.7 square miles (121 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 46.0 square miles (119 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.7 square miles (1.8 square kilometers), is water.
What is Nelchina's Climate Like?
Nelchina is in a subarctic climate zone. This means it has very cold winters and short, cool summers. A nearby weather station at Snowshoe Lake helps us understand the weather here.
Temperature Extremes
Temperatures in Nelchina can be very different. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -63°F (-53°C). The hottest temperature ever recorded was 95°F (35°C).
Snowfall and Precipitation
On average, Nelchina gets about 46 inches (117 cm) of snow each year. The total amount of rain and snow (precipitation) is about 11 inches (28 cm) per year.
| Climate data for Snowshoe Lake, Alaska, 1981–2010 normals, 1963–2011 extremes: 2312ft (705m) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 40 (4) |
43 (6) |
57 (14) |
65 (18) |
77 (25) |
95 (35) |
86 (30) |
88 (31) |
74 (23) |
63 (17) |
44 (7) |
52 (11) |
95 (35) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 26.2 (−3.2) |
32.8 (0.4) |
41.8 (5.4) |
52.8 (11.6) |
66.2 (19.0) |
77.6 (25.3) |
77.8 (25.4) |
74.4 (23.6) |
63.3 (17.4) |
49.7 (9.8) |
32.6 (0.3) |
31.6 (−0.2) |
80.8 (27.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 3.7 (−15.7) |
14.4 (−9.8) |
26.1 (−3.3) |
39.3 (4.1) |
52.9 (11.6) |
62.3 (16.8) |
65.8 (18.8) |
61.1 (16.2) |
50.2 (10.1) |
33.0 (0.6) |
13.9 (−10.1) |
5.1 (−14.9) |
35.7 (2.0) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | −9.3 (−22.9) |
−1.3 (−18.5) |
6.8 (−14.0) |
23.0 (−5.0) |
39.3 (4.1) |
48.4 (9.1) |
51.9 (11.1) |
47.6 (8.7) |
37.2 (2.9) |
21.6 (−5.8) |
2.4 (−16.4) |
−4.9 (−20.5) |
21.9 (−5.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | −22.3 (−30.2) |
−16.9 (−27.2) |
−12.6 (−24.8) |
6.7 (−14.1) |
25.7 (−3.5) |
34.5 (1.4) |
38.1 (3.4) |
34.1 (1.2) |
24.2 (−4.3) |
10.2 (−12.1) |
−9.0 (−22.8) |
−15.0 (−26.1) |
8.1 (−13.3) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −42.0 (−41.1) |
−39.7 (−39.8) |
−32.4 (−35.8) |
−17.3 (−27.4) |
15.0 (−9.4) |
24.5 (−4.2) |
28.2 (−2.1) |
22.9 (−5.1) |
8.0 (−13.3) |
−11.2 (−24.0) |
−30.1 (−34.5) |
−37.3 (−38.5) |
−48.4 (−44.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −60 (−51) |
−56 (−49) |
−53 (−47) |
−30 (−34) |
−10 (−23) |
19 (−7) |
23 (−5) |
12 (−11) |
−13 (−25) |
−29 (−34) |
−50 (−46) |
−63 (−53) |
−63 (−53) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.40 (10) |
0.28 (7.1) |
0.41 (10) |
0.18 (4.6) |
0.51 (13) |
1.93 (49) |
2.18 (55) |
1.43 (36) |
1.15 (29) |
0.85 (22) |
0.70 (18) |
0.96 (24) |
10.98 (277.7) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 6.2 (16) |
4.6 (12) |
3.9 (9.9) |
2.2 (5.6) |
1.6 (4.1) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.3 (3.3) |
6.2 (16) |
8.4 (21) |
11.9 (30) |
46.3 (117.9) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 5.4 | 4.9 | 3.1 | 1.9 | 4.0 | 9.4 | 10.5 | 9.1 | 6.6 | 6.2 | 6.0 | 6.7 | 73.8 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 5.9 | 5.1 | 3.2 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 4.5 | 6.0 | 7.2 | 35.5 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: XMACIS2 (records & 1981-2005 monthly maxima/minima) | |||||||||||||
Nelchina's History
The name Nelchina comes from the Ahtna language. This area became important in the late 1800s. People came here looking for gold in the creeks that flowed from the Chugach Mountains.
A Mining Settlement
Nelchina was officially set up as a mining settlement in 1913. It offered several trails that led into the mountains, which was helpful for prospectors. Theodore Chaplin first wrote about Nelchina in a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report in 1915.
Who Lives in Nelchina?
Nelchina first appeared on the U.S. Census in 2000 as a census-designated place (CDP).
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2000 | 71 | — | |
| 2010 | 59 | −16.9% | |
| 2020 | 45 | −23.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Population Changes
In 2000, there were 71 people living in Nelchina. By 2010, the population had decreased to 59 people. In the most recent census in 2020, 45 people lived there.
Community Life
In 2000, there were 27 households in Nelchina. About 26% of these households had children under 18 living with them. Most households (66.7%) were married couples. The average household had about 2.6 people.
Age Groups
The population in 2000 included people of all ages:
- About 28% were under 18 years old.
- About 5.6% were between 18 and 24 years old.
- About 19.7% were between 25 and 44 years old.
- About 32.4% were between 45 and 64 years old.
- About 14.1% were 65 years or older.
The average age of people in Nelchina was 43 years old.
Education in Nelchina
The Copper River School District used to run a school in Nelchina. It was called the Lottie Sparks School.
See also
In Spanish: Nelchina (Alaska) para niños
