Photo: Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA · CC BY 2.0Curlew is drier than 91% of U.S. towns: 18 inches of precipitation a year
July afternoons average 85°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 68% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.2°, most of all in January. Tender plants can go out after about May 30; in half of years the first frost comes by September 10.
A year in Curlew at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Curlew’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Curlew’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Curlew feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 102 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 30 and the first by September 10. Frost and day counts come from Republic, WA, 17 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Curlew’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 53 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Republic, WA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; June is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 106 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Curlew
98% 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 Republic, WA.
Living with Curlew’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
102 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 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 Sep 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Curlew from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Curlew and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Curlew yet.
Climates most like Curlew’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curlew, WA | 18° | 85° | 18" | 53" |
| Castle Rock, CO | 18° | 85° | 18" | 58" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
| Los Alamos, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 42" |
| Ranchettes, WY | 16° | 85° | 16" | 65" |
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 Curlew averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Curlew compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Curlew’s place among Washington’s.
Curlew weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Curlew’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Republic, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 18° | 1.7" | 13.1" | 11 | 31 | 16° – 33° |
| February | 39° | 20° | 1.2" | 6.6" | 8 | 24 | 20° – 37° |
| March | 50° | 27° | 1.4" | 3.3" | 9 | 10 | 33° – 44° |
| April | 60° | 32° | 1.4" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| May | 70° | 40° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 46° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| July | 85° | 50° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| August | 85° | 48° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| September | 75° | 41° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| October | 57° | 32° | 1.4" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 40° – 50° |
| November | 40° | 26° | 1.8" | 7.7" | 11 | 8 | 27° – 40° |
| December | 31° | 19° | 2.0" | 20.9" | 12 | 27 | 18° – 32° |
| Year | 58° | 33° | 17.8" | 52.5" | 106 | 100 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 37°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Curlew’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 Curlew’s center.
- Snow: Republic, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Republic, WA, 17 miles from the town’s center, 710 ft higher; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Curlew’s climate
What is the weather like in Curlew?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 53 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Curlew in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 188 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Curlew get?
About 53 inches in a normal winter at Republic, WA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 100 days a year.
How hot does it get in Curlew?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 50°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Republic, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Curlew?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 30 and the first fall frost by September 10, about 102 frost-free days, at Republic, WA.
What growing zone is Curlew in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Curlew?
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 Curlew getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Curlew.
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.