Photo: Steven Pavlov · CC BY-SA 3.0Chehalis’ winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 34°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Chehalis at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chehalis’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chehalis’ place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Chehalis feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 188 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Centralia, WA, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chehalis’ 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 Doty 3 E, WA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 46 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 169 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Chehalis
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 Centralia, WA.
Living with Chehalis’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
188 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 22 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 7.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chehalis from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (70%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chehalis and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Chehalis yet.
Climates most like Chehalis’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chehalis, WA | 34° | 78° | 46" | 3.7" |
| Cottage Grove, OR | 35° | 82° | 47" | 2.7" |
| Ben Lomond, CA | 40° | 79° | 43" | 0.0" |
| Swannanoa, NC | 27° | 83° | 48" | 2.1" |
| Brigantine, NJ | 28° | 83° | 45" | 10" |
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 Chehalis averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 88% 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 Chehalis compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chehalis’ place among Washington’s.
Chehalis weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chehalis’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Doty 3 E, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 34° | 6.7" | 1.5" | 22 | 0 | 33° – 45° |
| February | 51° | 34° | 4.6" | 0.6" | 16 | 0 | 34° – 47° |
| March | 55° | 36° | 5.1" | 0.9" | 19 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| April | 60° | 39° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 45° – 54° |
| May | 67° | 44° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| June | 72° | 48° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| July | 78° | 52° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| August | 79° | 52° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| September | 73° | 48° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 63° |
| October | 61° | 42° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| November | 51° | 37° | 7.3" | 0.1" | 19 | 0 | 40° – 48° |
| December | 45° | 34° | 7.4" | 0.6" | 19 | 0 | 35° – 42° |
| Year | 62° | 42° | 46.4" | 3.7" | 169 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 47°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Chehalis’ 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 Chehalis’ center.
- Snow: Doty 3 E, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Centralia, 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 Chehalis’ climate
What is the weather like in Chehalis?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, 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 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chehalis in winter?
February nights average 34°. About 48 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Chehalis get?
About 3.7 inches in a normal winter at Doty 3 E, WA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Chehalis?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 52°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Centralia, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Chehalis?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by October 27, about 188 frost-free days, at Centralia, WA.
What growing zone is Chehalis 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 Chehalis?
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 Chehalis getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Chehalis.
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.