Bay Center is among the wettest of U.S. towns: 77 inches of precipitation a year
In January the night’s low is typically 37°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in almost every U.S. town. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.1° above 1901–2000. Homes need heating from November to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Bay Center at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bay Center’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bay Center’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Bay Center feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 224 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 29 and the first by November 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Grayland, WA, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bay Center’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 23°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 77 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 204 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Grayland, WA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Bay Center
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. 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 Grayland, WA.
Living with Bay Center’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
224 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bay Center from natural hazards, tsunamis are the largest share (86%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bay Center and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bay Center yet.
Climates most like Bay Center’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bay Center, WA | 37° | 67° | 77" | 0.0" |
| Florence, OR | 40° | 66° | 73" | 0.6" |
| Crescent City, CA | 42° | 64° | 69" | 0.0" |
| Kodiak, AK | 26° | 62° | 78" | 70" |
| East Flat Rock, NC | 29° | 83° | 64" | 6.7" |
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 Bay Center averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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 Bay Center compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bay Center’s place among Washington’s.
Bay Center weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bay Center’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Grayland, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 37° | 12.0" | 0.0" | 23 | 0 | 38° – 47° |
| February | 51° | 37° | 7.7" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 38° – 50° |
| March | 54° | 38° | 8.8" | 0.0" | 23 | 0 | 42° – 50° |
| April | 57° | 41° | 6.2" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 | 45° – 53° |
| May | 61° | 46° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 50° – 57° |
| June | 64° | 50° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 54° – 60° |
| July | 67° | 52° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 63° |
| August | 68° | 53° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 63° |
| September | 67° | 49° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 62° |
| October | 60° | 44° | 7.5" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| November | 53° | 40° | 11.9" | 0.0" | 21 | 0 | 42° – 51° |
| December | 49° | 37° | 11.6" | 0.0" | 23 | 0 | 38° – 46° |
| Year | 58° | 44° | 77.3" | 0.0" | 204 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 38° to 50°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Bay Center’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 Bay Center’s center.
- Snow: Grayland, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Grayland, WA, 14 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 Bay Center’s climate
What is the weather like in Bay Center?
A typical July afternoon reaches 67°, a January night drops to 37°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 47 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bay Center in winter?
February nights average 37°. About 37 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 38°.
How much snow does Bay Center get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Grayland, WA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Bay Center?
July, with a typical high of 67°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Grayland, WA.
When is the first and last frost in Bay Center?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 29 and the first fall frost by November 7, about 224 frost-free days, at Grayland, WA.
What growing zone is Bay Center in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bay Center?
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 Bay Center getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bay Center.
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.