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Browns Point Lighthouse and Keeper's CottageBrowns Point Lighthouse and Keeper's Cottage · Photo: Steven Pavlov · CC BY-SA 4.0
Climate in Browns Point · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Few U.S. towns have cooler summers than Browns Point

The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 36° on average. Its January nights stay gentler than in 83% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.0° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Radiators earn their keep from November to March, the months that average under 50°.

Milder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns#26Mildest winters  of 266 in WA
Less snow than 69% of U.S. towns#175Least snow  of 254 in WA
All WA rankings →

A year in Browns Point at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan47°36°
Feb50°36°
Mar54°38° Last frost ~Mar 8
Apr59°41°
May66°47°
Jun70°51°
Jul77°55°
Aug77°55°
Sep71°51°
Oct60°45°
Nov now52°39° First frost ~Nov 14Wettest
Dec46°35°

What stands out about Browns Point’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Browns Point’s place in Washington beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Browns Point feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
48° / 36°
2 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
60° / 42°
Last frost around Mar 8
Summer
75° / 54°
90° days are rare
Fall
61° / 45°
First frost around Nov 14
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 250 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 8 and the first by November 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tacoma #1, WA, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

27
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
48th fewest of 266 in Washington
Fewer freezing nights than 86% of U.S. towns
0
nights at or below 0°
None in a normal year
<1
days that reach 90°
27th fewest of 266 in Washington
Fewer 90° days than all but 180 U.S. towns
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
8bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 8b

The 2023 USDA map puts Browns Point’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 20°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

7
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 6 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Seattle Tacoma International Airport, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 40 inches a year; November is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 156 days a year.

40"
Rain + melted snow a year
119th driest of 266 in Washington
Drier than 60% of U.S. towns
6.3"
Snow in a normal winter
175th least snowy of 254 in Washington
Less snow than 69% of U.S. towns
4 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
148th fewest of 239 in Washington
Fewer days with snow on the ground than 65% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

6.4"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

2"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Browns Point

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.

4,332 heating degree daysLess heating than 68% of U.S. towns
211 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 97% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Tacoma #1, WA.

Living here

Living with Browns Point’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

250 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 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 14.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Browns Point from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Browns Point and its neighbors

Every town next door is within a degree of Browns Point in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

University Place: January low 36°, July high 77°Midland: January low 36°, July high 77°Fife: January low 36°, July high 77°Fife Heights: January low 36°, July high 77°Lakewood: January low 36°, July high 77°Parkland: January low 36°, July high 77°Waller: January low 36°, July high 77°Federal Way: January low 36°, July high 77°Vashon: January low 36°, July high 77°Fircrest: January low 36°, July high 77°Tacoma: January low 36°, July high 77°Dash Point: January low 36°, July high 77°Browns Point: January low 36°, July high 77°Browns PointTacomaDash Point
ColderMilder36° to 36°
Tacoma35.9° about the same
Browns Point36.0°
Dash Point36.0° about the same

Climates most like Browns Point’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Browns Point, WA36°77°40"6.3"
Fairfax, CA41°76°38"0.0"
Silverton, OR36°81°46"1.1"
Nantucket, MA26°76°44"25"
Brigantine, NJ28°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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Browns Point averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).

+1.0°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 80% of U.S. towns.

Winter+1.1°now 42°, was 41°
Spring+0.8°now 51°, was 50°
Summer+1.4°now 64°, was 63°
Fall+0.6°now 53°, was 52°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Browns Point compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Browns Point’s place among Washington’s.

Summer heat77° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns121st coolest of 266 in Washington
Winter cold36° January low
Milder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns26th mildest of 266 in Washington
Precipitation40" a year
Drier than 60% of U.S. towns119th driest of 266 in Washington
Snow6.3" a winter
Less snow than 69% of U.S. towns175th least snowy of 254 in Washington
Hot days<1 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than all but 180 U.S. towns27th fewest of 266 in Washington
Freezing nights27 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 86% of U.S. towns48th fewest of 266 in Washington
Growing season250 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 90% of U.S. towns39th longest of 266 in Washington
Month by month

Browns Point weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Browns Point’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Seattle Tacoma International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January47°36°5.8"1.8"19137° – 46°
February50°36°4.0"2.2"16136° – 48°
March54°38°4.3"0.4"17042° – 50°
April59°41°3.3"0.0"15045° – 55°
May66°47°2.0"0.0"11052° – 60°
June70°51°1.5"0.0"9058° – 66°
July77°55°0.6"0.0"5061° – 70°
August77°55°0.9"0.0"5062° – 69°
September71°51°1.6"0.0"8058° – 64°
October60°45°4.0"0.0"14049° – 57°
November52°39°6.4"0.2"18041° – 50°
December46°35°5.9"1.7"18137° – 43°
Year61°44°40.3"6.3"1564
Year to year

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°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Browns Point’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 Browns Point’s center.
  • Snow: Seattle Tacoma International Airport.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tacoma #1, WA, 4 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 Browns Point’s climate

What is the weather like in Browns Point?

A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 36°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Browns Point in winter?

December nights average 35°. About 27 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.

How much snow does Browns Point get?

About 6.3 inches in a normal winter at Seattle Tacoma International Airport, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 4 days a year.

How hot does it get in Browns Point?

July, with a typical high of 77°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Tacoma #1, WA.

When is the first and last frost in Browns Point?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 8 and the first fall frost by November 14, about 250 frost-free days, at Tacoma #1, WA.

What growing zone is Browns Point in?

Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 20°.

What is the best time of year to visit Browns Point?

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 Browns Point getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Browns Point.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.