Photo: Williamborg · CC BY-SA 3.0Benton City is among the driest of U.S. towns: 8 inches of precipitation a year
In January the night’s low is typically 28°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 79% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.0°, most of all in January. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Benton City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Benton City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Benton City’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Benton City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 200 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 6 and the first by October 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Richland, WA, 11 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Benton City’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. 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 8 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Benton City
86% 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 Richland, WA.
Living with Benton City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
200 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 6 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October. 3.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Benton City from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Benton City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Benton City yet.
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 Benton City averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
A smaller shift than in 79% 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 Benton City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Benton City’s place among Washington’s.
Benton City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Benton City’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 28° | 1.1" | 22° – 41° |
| February | 47° | 29° | 0.8" | 25° – 43° |
| March | 57° | 34° | 0.6" | 36° – 50° |
| April | 65° | 40° | 0.6" | 48° – 58° |
| May | 74° | 47° | 0.7" | 56° – 66° |
| June | 81° | 53° | 0.6" | 63° – 75° |
| July | 90° | 59° | 0.2" | 67° – 79° |
| August | 89° | 58° | 0.2" | 68° – 76° |
| September | 80° | 50° | 0.3" | 61° – 68° |
| October | 65° | 40° | 0.6" | 48° – 58° |
| November | 49° | 32° | 0.8" | 35° – 47° |
| December | 40° | 27° | 1.1" | 26° – 39° |
| Year | 65° | 41° | 7.5" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 41°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Benton City’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 Benton City’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Richland, WA, 11 miles from the town’s center, 170 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 Benton City’s climate
What is the weather like in Benton City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 28°. Milder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Benton City in winter?
December nights average 27°. About 91 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How hot does it get in Benton City?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 59°. About 39 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Richland, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Benton City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 6 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 200 frost-free days, at Richland, WA.
What growing zone is Benton City in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Benton City?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Benton City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 79% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Benton City.
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.