Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0Bellingham’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Bellingham at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bellingham’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bellingham’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Bellingham feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 216 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 1 and the first by November 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bellingham 3 Ssw, WA, 3 miles from the city’s center point, 150 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bellingham’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bellingham 3 Ssw, WA, falls mostly in January. 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 166 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bellingham
98% 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 Bellingham 3 Ssw, WA.
Living with Bellingham’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
216 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 1 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 78 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bellingham from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bellingham and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Bellingham in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Bellingham’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham, WA | 35° | 73° | 38" | 3.4" |
| Kentfield, CA | 42° | 74° | 35" | 0.0" |
| West Haven-Sylvan, OR | 36° | 80° | 44" | 3.6" |
| Nantucket, MA | 26° | 76° | 44" | 25" |
| Springs, NY | 24° | 80° | 44" | 27" |
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 Bellingham averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 53% 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 Bellingham compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bellingham’s place among Washington’s.
Bellingham weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bellingham’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bellingham 3 Ssw, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 35° | 5.0" | 1.1" | 20 | 1 | 34° – 45° |
| February | 49° | 35° | 3.2" | 0.6" | 16 | 0 | 33° – 47° |
| March | 53° | 38° | 3.6" | 0.5" | 18 | 0 | 40° – 49° |
| April | 58° | 41° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 46° – 54° |
| May | 65° | 47° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 59° |
| June | 69° | 51° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| July | 73° | 54° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 67° |
| August | 74° | 54° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 66° |
| September | 68° | 50° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 62° |
| October | 59° | 44° | 4.1" | 0.1" | 16 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| November | 51° | 39° | 5.7" | 0.8" | 20 | 1 | 41° – 50° |
| December | 46° | 35° | 4.7" | 0.3" | 20 | 1 | 35° – 43° |
| Year | 59° | 43° | 38.0" | 3.4" | 166 | 3 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 47°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Bellingham’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 Bellingham’s center.
- Snow: Bellingham 3 Ssw, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bellingham 3 Ssw, WA, 3 miles from the city’s center point, 150 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 Bellingham’s climate
What is the weather like in Bellingham?
A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 150 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bellingham in winter?
January nights average 35°. About 43 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Bellingham get?
About 3.4 inches in a normal winter at Bellingham 3 Ssw, WA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bellingham?
July, with a typical high of 73°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Bellingham 3 Ssw, WA.
When is the first and last frost in Bellingham?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 1 and the first fall frost by November 2, about 216 frost-free days, at Bellingham 3 Ssw, WA.
What growing zone is Bellingham in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bellingham?
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 Bellingham getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bellingham.
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.