Fairfax Bridge · Photo: Rickad · Public domainCarbonado sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
Midwinter brings lows of about 34°. Seasons differ by 42°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Its yearly precipitation tops that of 97% of U.S. towns. Long walks are most pleasant from May to September, when afternoons reach 63–75°.
A year in Carbonado at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Carbonado’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Carbonado’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Carbonado feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 196 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first by October 31. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mud Mtn Dam, WA, 7 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Carbonado’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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Buckley 1 Ne, WA, falls mostly in November. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 61 inches a year; November is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 174 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Carbonado
97% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 Mud Mtn Dam, WA.
Living with Carbonado’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
196 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 18 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 31.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Carbonado from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Carbonado and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Carbonado yet.
Climates most like Carbonado’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carbonado, WA | 34° | 75° | 61" | 4.3" |
| Fortuna, CA | 42° | 70° | 55" | 0.7" |
| Sweet Home, OR | 35° | 82° | 55" | 0.1" |
| Black Mountain, NC | 27° | 82° | 57" | 2.1" |
| Orleans, MA | 25° | 77° | 45" | 25" |
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 Carbonado averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°).
A smaller shift than in 52% 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 Carbonado compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Carbonado’s place among Washington’s.
Carbonado weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Carbonado’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Buckley 1 Ne, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 34° | 7.3" | 0.2" | 19 | 0 | 34° – 43° |
| February | 46° | 34° | 5.3" | 1.3" | 15 | 0 | 33° – 46° |
| March | 50° | 36° | 6.3" | 0.2" | 20 | 0 | 38° – 48° |
| April | 56° | 39° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| May | 63° | 44° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| June | 68° | 48° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| July | 75° | 52° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| August | 75° | 52° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| September | 69° | 49° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| October | 57° | 42° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| November | 48° | 37° | 8.4" | 1.5" | 19 | 0 | 38° – 47° |
| December | 43° | 33° | 7.0" | 1.1" | 18 | 0 | 33° – 41° |
| Year | 58° | 42° | 60.6" | 4.3" | 174 | 0 |
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 46°. December is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Carbonado’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 Carbonado’s center.
- Snow: Buckley 1 Ne, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mud Mtn Dam, WA, 7 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft higher; 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 Carbonado’s climate
What is the weather like in Carbonado?
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 34°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Carbonado in winter?
December nights average 33°. About 79 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Carbonado get?
About 4.3 inches in a normal winter at Buckley 1 Ne, WA, most of it in November, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Carbonado?
July, with a typical high of 75° and a low of 52°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Mud Mtn Dam, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Carbonado?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 18 and the first fall frost by October 31, about 196 frost-free days, at Mud Mtn Dam, WA.
What growing zone is Carbonado 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 Carbonado?
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 Carbonado getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Carbonado.
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.