Photo: NPS · Public domainElmer City is among the driest of U.S. towns: 11 inches of precipitation a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 21°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 64% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Elmer City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elmer City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elmer City’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Elmer City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 180 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 21. Frost and day counts come from Coulee Dam 1 Sw, WA, 4 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elmer City’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 5°. 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 Elmer City
90% 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 Coulee Dam 1 Sw, WA.
Living with Elmer City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
180 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 22 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elmer City from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elmer City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Elmer City 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 Elmer City averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
A smaller shift than in 90% 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 Elmer City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elmer City’s place among Washington’s.
Elmer City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elmer City’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 21° | 1.1" | 19° – 33° |
| February | 40° | 24° | 0.8" | 21° – 39° |
| March | 51° | 30° | 1.0" | 34° – 47° |
| April | 61° | 35° | 0.9" | 43° – 55° |
| May | 71° | 43° | 1.2" | 51° – 62° |
| June | 78° | 49° | 1.1" | 59° – 71° |
| July | 87° | 55° | 0.6" | 63° – 75° |
| August | 87° | 54° | 0.3" | 65° – 74° |
| September | 77° | 46° | 0.4" | 58° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 36° | 0.9" | 43° – 54° |
| November | 43° | 28° | 1.1" | 30° – 43° |
| December | 33° | 22° | 1.5" | 21° – 33° |
| Year | 60° | 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 21° to 39°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Elmer City’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 Elmer City’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Coulee Dam 1 Sw, WA, 4 miles from the town’s center, 560 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 Elmer City’s climate
What is the weather like in Elmer City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 21°. Colder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elmer City in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 120 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How hot does it get in Elmer City?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 55°. About 33 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Coulee Dam 1 Sw, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Elmer City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by October 21, about 180 frost-free days, at Coulee Dam 1 Sw, WA.
What growing zone is Elmer City in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Elmer City?
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 Elmer City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elmer City.
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.