Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0Ellensburg sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 11 inches a year
Nights in January average 23°. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.2° above 1901–2000. Garden planting can start around May 8; autumn frost returns near October 2.
A year in Ellensburg at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ellensburg’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ellensburg’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Ellensburg feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 146 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ellensburg, WA, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ellensburg’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. 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 11 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 Ellensburg
94% 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 Ellensburg, WA.
Living with Ellensburg’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
146 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 8 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 7.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ellensburg from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (70%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ellensburg and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ellensburg 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 Ellensburg averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A smaller shift than in 64% 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 Ellensburg compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ellensburg’s place among Washington’s.
Ellensburg weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ellensburg’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 23° | 1.5" | 20° – 36° |
| February | 44° | 25° | 1.0" | 24° – 41° |
| March | 53° | 30° | 1.0" | 35° – 48° |
| April | 61° | 36° | 0.8" | 44° – 55° |
| May | 71° | 43° | 0.9" | 52° – 63° |
| June | 77° | 50° | 0.6" | 59° – 72° |
| July | 86° | 55° | 0.3" | 64° – 75° |
| August | 86° | 54° | 0.2" | 65° – 73° |
| September | 77° | 45° | 0.4" | 58° – 66° |
| October | 62° | 36° | 1.1" | 43° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 28° | 1.4" | 32° – 43° |
| December | 36° | 23° | 1.7" | 24° – 35° |
| Year | 61° | 37° | 10.9" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 41°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Ellensburg’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 Ellensburg’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ellensburg, WA, 2.2 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 Ellensburg’s climate
What is the weather like in Ellensburg?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 23°. Milder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ellensburg in winter?
December nights average 23°. About 155 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 24°.
How hot does it get in Ellensburg?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 55°. About 24 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Ellensburg, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Ellensburg?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 8 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 146 frost-free days, at Ellensburg, WA.
What growing zone is Ellensburg in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ellensburg?
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 Ellensburg getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ellensburg.
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.