Photo: BrandonHansen18 · CC BY-SA 4.0Less rain and snow falls on Chewelah than on 89% of U.S. towns: 20 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 21°. A year here swings 66° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 63% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Chewelah at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Chewelah’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Chewelah’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Chewelah feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 120 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by September 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Chewelah, WA, 1.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Chewelah’s center in zone 6a: 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 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Colville, WA, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 20 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 108 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Chewelah
96% 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 Chewelah, WA.
Living with Chewelah’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
120 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 16 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 1.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Chewelah from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (85%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Chewelah and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Chewelah yet.
Climates most like Chewelah’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chewelah, WA | 21° | 87° | 20" | 43" |
| Dakota Ridge, CO | 19° | 87° | 18" | 34" |
| Los Alamos, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 42" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
| Altamont, OR | 22° | 86° | 13" | 52" |
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 Chewelah averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 67% 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 Chewelah compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Chewelah’s place among Washington’s.
Chewelah weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Chewelah’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Colville, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 21° | 2.4" | 14.5" | 12 | 25 | 18° – 33° |
| February | 41° | 22° | 1.6" | 5.4" | 10 | 14 | 21° – 39° |
| March | 51° | 28° | 2.0" | 2.7" | 11 | 3 | 34° – 45° |
| April | 61° | 33° | 1.6" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 55° |
| May | 71° | 41° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| June | 77° | 46° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| July | 87° | 50° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 60° – 75° |
| August | 87° | 49° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 77° | 42° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| October | 60° | 32° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 52° |
| November | 43° | 27° | 2.4" | 5.6" | 12 | 3 | 29° – 41° |
| December | 33° | 21° | 2.7" | 15.0" | 12 | 16 | 21° – 33° |
| Year | 60° | 34° | 20.2" | 43.4" | 108 | 61 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 39°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Chewelah’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 Chewelah’s center.
- Snow: Colville, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Chewelah, WA, 1.2 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 Chewelah’s climate
What is the weather like in Chewelah?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Chewelah in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 170 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Chewelah get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Colville, WA, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 61 days a year.
How hot does it get in Chewelah?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 50°. About 34 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Chewelah, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Chewelah?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 15, about 120 frost-free days, at Chewelah, WA.
What growing zone is Chewelah in?
Zone 6a 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 Chewelah?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Chewelah getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Chewelah.
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.