Beacon Hill has some of the coolest summers among U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 35°. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 81% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.4° above 1901–2000. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from May to October, with highs of 62–80°.
A year in Beacon Hill at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Beacon Hill’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Beacon Hill’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Beacon Hill feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 210 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 8 and the first by November 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Longview, WA, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Beacon Hill’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 18°. 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Clatskanie, OR, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 49 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 192 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Beacon Hill
95% 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 Longview, WA.
Living with Beacon Hill’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
210 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 8 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Beacon Hill from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Beacon Hill and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Beacon Hill in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Beacon Hill’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beacon Hill, WA | 35° | 79° | 49" | 2.3" |
| Cottage Grove, OR | 35° | 82° | 47" | 2.7" |
| Ben Lomond, CA | 40° | 79° | 43" | 0.0" |
| Swannanoa, NC | 27° | 83° | 48" | 2.1" |
| 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 Beacon Hill averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 56% 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 Beacon Hill compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Beacon Hill’s place among Washington’s.
Beacon Hill weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Beacon Hill’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Clatskanie, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 35° | 6.9" | 0.5" | 22 | 1 | 34° – 45° |
| February | 51° | 35° | 4.8" | 0.7" | 19 | 0 | 36° – 48° |
| March | 56° | 37° | 5.1" | 0.2" | 22 | 0 | 43° – 51° |
| April | 61° | 40° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| May | 68° | 45° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| June | 72° | 49° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| July | 79° | 53° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| August | 80° | 53° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 63° – 69° |
| September | 74° | 49° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 62° | 43° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| November | 52° | 38° | 7.4" | 0.1" | 23 | 0 | 40° – 49° |
| December | 45° | 35° | 7.7" | 0.8" | 23 | 1 | 35° – 43° |
| Year | 62° | 43° | 49.2" | 2.3" | 192 | 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 48°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Beacon Hill’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 Beacon Hill’s center.
- Snow: Clatskanie, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Longview, WA, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower; 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 Beacon Hill’s climate
What is the weather like in Beacon Hill?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Beacon Hill in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 41 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Beacon Hill get?
About 2.3 inches in a normal winter at Clatskanie, OR, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Beacon Hill?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 53°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Longview, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Beacon Hill?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 8 and the first fall frost by November 5, about 210 frost-free days, at Longview, WA.
What growing zone is Beacon Hill in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Beacon Hill?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Beacon Hill getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Beacon Hill.
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.