Photo: Thayne Tuason · CC BY-SA 4.0East Wenatchee sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 10 inches a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 88°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 69% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.4° rise. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 4 to October 28.
A year in East Wenatchee at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about East Wenatchee’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with East Wenatchee’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in East Wenatchee feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 208 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 4 and the first by October 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wenatchee, WA, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts East Wenatchee’s center in zone 7b: 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 17 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wenatchee, WA, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 10 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 67 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in East Wenatchee
86% 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 Wenatchee, WA.
Living with East Wenatchee’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
208 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 4 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 4.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in East Wenatchee from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (79%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →East Wenatchee and its neighbors
Wenatchee the hottest July afternoons (89°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like East Wenatchee’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Wenatchee, WA | 24° | 88° | 10" | 17" |
| Madras, OR | 26° | 87° | 11" | 14" |
| Cold Springs, NV | 23° | 88° | 13" | 17" |
| Burley, ID | 21° | 89° | 10" | 21" |
| Silver City, NM | 26° | 87° | 16" | 13" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in East Wenatchee averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.1°).
A bigger shift than in 50% 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 East Wenatchee compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with East Wenatchee’s place among Washington’s.
East Wenatchee weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at East Wenatchee’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wenatchee, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 24° | 1.5" | 5.6" | 10 | 13 | 22° – 35° |
| February | 43° | 27° | 1.1" | 3.0" | 7 | 5 | 25° – 42° |
| March | 54° | 32° | 0.9" | 0.4" | 6 | 1 | 38° – 50° |
| April | 63° | 38° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 45° – 58° |
| May | 73° | 47° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| June | 79° | 53° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 62° – 75° |
| July | 88° | 59° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 66° – 77° |
| August | 87° | 58° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 78° | 49° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| October | 63° | 38° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| November | 46° | 30° | 1.3" | 1.5" | 9 | 1 | 33° – 45° |
| December | 35° | 24° | 1.8" | 6.0" | 10 | 10 | 24° – 34° |
| Year | 62° | 40° | 10.2" | 16.5" | 67 | 30 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 42°. September is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where East Wenatchee’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 East Wenatchee’s center.
- Snow: Wenatchee, WA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wenatchee, WA, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft lower; 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 East Wenatchee’s climate
What is the weather like in East Wenatchee?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in East Wenatchee in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 105 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does East Wenatchee get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter at Wenatchee, WA, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 30 days a year.
How hot does it get in East Wenatchee?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 59°. About 36 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Wenatchee, WA).
When is the first and last frost in East Wenatchee?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 4 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 208 frost-free days, at Wenatchee, WA.
What growing zone is East Wenatchee in?
Zone 7b 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 East Wenatchee?
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 East Wenatchee getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in East Wenatchee.
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.