Photo: formulanone · CC BY-SA 2.0Bainbridge Island sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
Midwinter brings lows of about 36°. November is the wettest month here, with about 8.7 times the rain of July. In January, nights here are milder than in 83% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from May to September, with highs of 66–77°.
A year in Bainbridge Island at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bainbridge Island’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bainbridge Island’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Bainbridge Island feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 227 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 29 and the first by November 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bremerton, WA, 10 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bainbridge Island’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 24°. 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 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bremerton, WA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; November is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 167 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bainbridge Island
96% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Bremerton, WA.
Living with Bainbridge Island’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
227 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 29 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 83 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bainbridge Island from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bainbridge Island and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Bainbridge Island in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Bainbridge Island’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bainbridge Island, WA | 36° | 76° | 38" | 3.0" |
| Fairfax, CA | 41° | 76° | 38" | 0.0" |
| Garden Home-Whitford, OR | 36° | 81° | 40" | 3.6" |
| Nantucket, MA | 26° | 76° | 44" | 25" |
| Brigantine, NJ | 28° | 83° | 45" | 10" |
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 Bainbridge Island averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 61% 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 Bainbridge Island compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bainbridge Island’s place among Washington’s.
Bainbridge Island weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bainbridge Island’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bremerton, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 36° | 5.5" | 0.6" | 19 | 0 | 37° – 46° |
| February | 50° | 36° | 3.7" | 0.7" | 16 | 0 | 36° – 49° |
| March | 54° | 38° | 4.1" | 0.1" | 19 | 0 | 42° – 51° |
| April | 59° | 41° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 66° | 47° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| June | 70° | 51° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| July | 76° | 55° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| August | 77° | 55° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| September | 71° | 51° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 60° | 45° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 50° – 57° |
| November | 51° | 39° | 5.9" | 0.3" | 19 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| December | 46° | 36° | 5.8" | 1.3" | 19 | 1 | 37° – 44° |
| Year | 61° | 44° | 37.6" | 3.0" | 167 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 49°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Bainbridge Island’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 Bainbridge Island’s center.
- Snow: Bremerton, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bremerton, WA, 10 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft higher; 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 Bainbridge Island’s climate
What is the weather like in Bainbridge Island?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 36°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bainbridge Island in winter?
December nights average 36°. About 42 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Bainbridge Island get?
About 3.0 inches in a normal winter at Bremerton, WA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bainbridge Island?
July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 55°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Bremerton, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Bainbridge Island?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 29 and the first fall frost by November 14, about 227 frost-free days, at Bremerton, WA.
What growing zone is Bainbridge Island in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bainbridge Island?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bainbridge Island getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bainbridge Island.
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.