Dry weather: only 25 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Colton, less than in 87% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 84°. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 67% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.5° higher. The outdoor season runs from May to July and September, with highs of 66–84°.
A year in Colton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Colton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Colton’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Colton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 143 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pullman 2 Nw, WA, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Colton’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 33 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pullman 2 Nw, WA, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 25 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 115 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Colton
95% 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 Pullman 2 Nw, WA.
Living with Colton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
143 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 6 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Colton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Colton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Colton yet.
Climates most like Colton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colton, WA | 27° | 84° | 25" | 33" |
| Ruidoso, NM | 22° | 82° | 20" | 26" |
| Hood River, OR | 32° | 85° | 23" | 17" |
| Polson, MT | 20° | 83° | 19" | 34" |
| Oregon, OH | 21° | 85° | 33" | 37" |
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 Colton averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.0°).
A bigger shift than in 60% 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 Colton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Colton’s place among Washington’s.
Colton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Colton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pullman 2 Nw, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 27° | 3.1" | 9.6" | 14 | 23° – 38° |
| February | 43° | 28° | 2.6" | 4.8" | 12 | 26° – 42° |
| March | 50° | 32° | 2.7" | 2.5" | 12 | 34° – 46° |
| April | 57° | 36° | 2.4" | 0.7" | 11 | 41° – 53° |
| May | 66° | 43° | 2.3" | 0.1" | 10 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 72° | 48° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 56° – 67° |
| July | 84° | 54° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 61° – 73° |
| August | 84° | 54° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 75° | 48° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 57° – 66° |
| October | 60° | 39° | 2.1" | 0.1" | 9 | 44° – 56° |
| November | 45° | 31° | 3.2" | 4.6" | 14 | 30° – 45° |
| December | 37° | 26° | 3.4" | 10.3" | 14 | 26° – 36° |
| Year | 59° | 39° | 25.4" | 32.7" | 115 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 42°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Colton’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 Colton’s center.
- Snow: Pullman 2 Nw, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pullman 2 Nw, WA, 14 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 Colton’s climate
What is the weather like in Colton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Colton in winter?
December nights average 26°. About 127 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Colton get?
About 33 inches in a normal winter at Pullman 2 Nw, WA, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Colton?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 54°. About 22 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Pullman 2 Nw, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Colton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 143 frost-free days, at Pullman 2 Nw, WA.
What growing zone is Colton in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Colton?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Colton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Colton.
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.