Edgar Rock Lodge · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 3.0Cliffdell has some of the coolest summers among U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 22°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 87% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.3° rise. The heating season runs October to May: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Cliffdell at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cliffdell’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cliffdell’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Cliffdell feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 132 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by September 25. Frost dates and degree days from Cle Elum, WA, 19 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cliffdell’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 26 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Cliffdell
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 Cle Elum, WA.
Living with Cliffdell’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
132 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 13 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cliffdell from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cliffdell and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cliffdell yet.
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 Cliffdell averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A smaller shift than in 53% 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 Cliffdell compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cliffdell’s place among Washington’s.
Cliffdell weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cliffdell’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 22° | 4.2" | 21° – 35° |
| February | 40° | 22° | 2.9" | 24° – 38° |
| March | 46° | 27° | 2.6" | 31° – 43° |
| April | 53° | 31° | 1.9" | 36° – 49° |
| May | 62° | 37° | 1.3" | 45° – 55° |
| June | 69° | 43° | 1.0" | 52° – 65° |
| July | 78° | 48° | 0.4" | 55° – 68° |
| August | 79° | 47° | 0.4" | 57° – 67° |
| September | 70° | 40° | 0.8" | 52° – 61° |
| October | 56° | 32° | 2.4" | 40° – 49° |
| November | 42° | 27° | 3.8" | 29° – 39° |
| December | 33° | 21° | 4.6" | 23° – 32° |
| Year | 55° | 33° | 26.0" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 35°. December is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Cliffdell’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 Cliffdell’s center.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Cle Elum, WA, 19 miles away.
- 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 Cliffdell’s climate
What is the weather like in Cliffdell?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 22°. Milder January nights than 53% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cliffdell in winter?
December nights average 21°. About 156 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How hot does it get in Cliffdell?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 48°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Cle Elum, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Cliffdell?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 132 frost-free days, at Cle Elum, WA.
What growing zone is Cliffdell in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cliffdell?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cliffdell getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cliffdell.
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.