Photo: Will Maupin · CC BY-SA 4.0Precipitation in Airway Heights trails that of 91% of U.S. towns: 17 inches a year
Nights in January average 24°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 61% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.0° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. The outdoor season, with highs of 66–83°, runs through May, June, August and September.
A year in Airway Heights at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Airway Heights’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Airway Heights’ place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Airway Heights feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 168 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Spokane International Airport, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Airway Heights’ center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Spokane International Airport, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 113 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Airway Heights
93% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Spokane International Airport.
Living with Airway Heights’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
168 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 26 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, August and September. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Airway Heights from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (34%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 38%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Airway Heights and its neighbors
Spokane the hottest July afternoons (86°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Airway Heights’, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airway Heights, WA | 24° | 84° | 17" | 45" |
| Klamath Falls, OR | 22° | 86° | 14" | 52" |
| Los Alamos, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 42" |
| Polson, MT | 20° | 83° | 19" | 34" |
| Castle Pines, CO | 19° | 86° | 17" | 58" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Airway Heights averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°).
A smaller shift than in 81% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Airway Heights compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Airway Heights’ place among Washington’s.
Airway Heights weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Airway Heights’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Spokane International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 24° | 2.1" | 12.3" | 14 | 16 | 21° – 36° |
| February | 40° | 26° | 1.5" | 7.8" | 11 | 10 | 21° – 40° |
| March | 49° | 30° | 1.8" | 3.9" | 12 | 4 | 34° – 45° |
| April | 57° | 35° | 1.4" | 0.7" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 53° |
| May | 66° | 43° | 1.6" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 73° | 48° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| July | 84° | 54° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 74° |
| August | 83° | 53° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 73° | 45° | 0.6" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| October | 58° | 36° | 1.4" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| November | 42° | 29° | 2.1" | 6.2" | 13 | 4 | 28° – 43° |
| December | 34° | 24° | 2.4" | 13.8" | 14 | 13 | 23° – 34° |
| Year | 58° | 37° | 17.2" | 45.4" | 113 | 48 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 40°. September is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Airway Heights’ numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Airway Heights’ center.
- Snow: Spokane International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Spokane International Airport, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Airway Heights’ climate
What is the weather like in Airway Heights?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 61% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Airway Heights in winter?
December nights average 24°. About 132 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Airway Heights get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter at Spokane International Airport, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 48 days a year.
How hot does it get in Airway Heights?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 54°. About 21 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Spokane International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Airway Heights?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 168 frost-free days, at Spokane International Airport.
What growing zone is Airway Heights in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Airway Heights?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Airway Heights getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Airway Heights.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.