Mount Rainier National Park · Photo: Steven Pavlov · CC BY-SA 4.0Ashford gets about 143 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 70 U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 73°. Seasons differ by 44°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than almost every U.S. town. Garden chairs stay out from June to September, the months with highs of 64–73°.
A year in Ashford at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ashford’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ashford’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Ashford feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 176 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from Glenoma, WA, 17 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ashford’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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 143 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Longmire Rainier Nps, WA, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 109 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 188 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ashford
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through June.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Glenoma, WA.
Living with Ashford’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
176 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 24 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ashford from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ashford and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ashford yet.
Climates most like Ashford’s, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashford, WA | 30° | 73° | 109" | 143" |
| Juneau, AK | 27° | 63° | 90" | 88" |
| Lincoln City, OR | 40° | 67° | 88" | 0.1" |
| Boone, NC | 24° | 79° | 58" | 26" |
| Liberty, NY | 14° | 78° | 53" | 70" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Ashford averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 74% 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 Ashford compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ashford’s place among Washington’s.
Ashford weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ashford’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Longmire Rainier Nps, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 30° | 14.7" | 32.7" | 21 | 25 | 29° – 40° |
| February | 42° | 30° | 11.1" | 19.2" | 17 | 24 | 29° – 42° |
| March | 46° | 31° | 11.5" | 25.4" | 20 | 24 | 34° – 46° |
| April | 51° | 34° | 9.3" | 9.7" | 19 | 13 | 36° – 49° |
| May | 59° | 39° | 6.6" | 2.1" | 17 | 3 | 44° – 55° |
| June | 64° | 44° | 5.1" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| July | 73° | 48° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| August | 73° | 49° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| September | 67° | 46° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 53° – 60° |
| October | 54° | 39° | 10.7" | 0.9" | 17 | 1 | 42° – 52° |
| November | 44° | 33° | 15.3" | 18.6" | 20 | 10 | 32° – 43° |
| December | 38° | 29° | 15.4" | 34.3" | 20 | 24 | 28° – 37° |
| Year | 54° | 38° | 108.5" | 143.0" | 188 | 123 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 42°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Ashford’s 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 Ashford’s center.
- Snow: Longmire Rainier Nps, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Glenoma, WA, 17 miles from the town’s center, 940 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Ashford’s climate
What is the weather like in Ashford?
A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 143 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 123 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ashford in winter?
December nights average 29°. About 82 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does Ashford get?
About 143 inches in a normal winter at Longmire Rainier Nps, WA, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 123 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ashford?
July, with a typical high of 73° and a low of 48°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Glenoma, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Ashford?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 176 frost-free days, at Glenoma, WA.
What growing zone is Ashford in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ashford?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ashford getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 74% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ashford.
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.