Photo: RanchoRosco at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Carnation’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Carnation at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Carnation’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Carnation’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Carnation feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 223 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 30 and the first by November 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Snoqualmie Falls, WA, 8 miles from the town’s center, 350 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Carnation’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 19°. 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 Snoqualmie Falls, WA, falls mostly in January and December. 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 184 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Carnation
97% 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 Snoqualmie Falls, WA.
Living with Carnation’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
223 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 30 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Carnation from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (68%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Carnation and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Carnation yet.
Climates most like Carnation’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carnation, WA | 35° | 76° | 61" | 3.6" |
| Sandy, OR | 35° | 80° | 57" | 2.2" |
| Fortuna, CA | 42° | 70° | 55" | 0.7" |
| Black Mountain, NC | 27° | 82° | 57" | 2.1" |
| Fairfield Glade, TN | 27° | 84° | 57" | 4.9" |
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 Carnation averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 90% 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 Carnation compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Carnation’s place among Washington’s.
Carnation weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Carnation’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Snoqualmie Falls, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 35° | 8.3" | 1.5" | 21 | 1 | 36° – 47° |
| February | 50° | 35° | 5.5" | 0.2" | 16 | 0 | 35° – 48° |
| March | 54° | 37° | 6.4" | 0.3" | 20 | 0 | 41° – 51° |
| April | 59° | 40° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| May | 66° | 46° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| June | 70° | 51° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| July | 76° | 54° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| August | 77° | 54° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| September | 71° | 50° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| October | 60° | 43° | 6.1" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| November | 51° | 38° | 9.0" | 0.1" | 21 | 0 | 40° – 49° |
| December | 46° | 35° | 7.9" | 1.5" | 20 | 1 | 36° – 44° |
| Year | 61° | 43° | 60.8" | 3.6" | 184 | 3 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 48°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Carnation’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 Carnation’s center.
- Snow: Snoqualmie Falls, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Snoqualmie Falls, WA, 8 miles from the town’s center, 350 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 Carnation’s climate
What is the weather like in Carnation?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Carnation in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 54 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Carnation get?
About 3.6 inches in a normal winter at Snoqualmie Falls, WA, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Carnation?
July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 54°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Snoqualmie Falls, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Carnation?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 30 and the first fall frost by November 7, about 223 frost-free days, at Snoqualmie Falls, WA.
What growing zone is Carnation in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Carnation?
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 Carnation getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Carnation.
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.