Hardly any U.S. towns collect more precipitation than Fern Prairie: 64 inches a year
July afternoons average 80°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 91% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.4° above 1901–2000. Tender plants can go out after about April 29; in half of years the first frost comes by October 22.
A year in Fern Prairie at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fern Prairie’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fern Prairie’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Fern Prairie feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 177 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Skamania Fish Hatchery, WA, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fern Prairie’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 18°. 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 6 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Skamania Fish Hatchery, WA, is heaviest from January through February, about 2 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 64 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 177 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fern Prairie
97% 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 Skamania Fish Hatchery, WA.
Living with Fern Prairie’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
177 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 29 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fern Prairie from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fern Prairie and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fern Prairie yet.
Climates most like Fern Prairie’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fern Prairie, WA | 36° | 80° | 64" | 6.2" |
| East Flat Rock, NC | 29° | 83° | 64" | 6.7" |
| Signal Mountain, TN | 29° | 85° | 62" | 4.3" |
| Fort Payne, AL | 31° | 86° | 60" | 5.0" |
| Dahlonega, GA | 30° | 87° | 63" | 3.3" |
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 Fern Prairie averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Fern Prairie compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fern Prairie’s place among Washington’s.
Fern Prairie weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fern Prairie’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Skamania Fish Hatchery, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 36° | 8.5" | 2.1" | 20 | 0 | 34° – 45° |
| February | 50° | 36° | 6.5" | 1.9" | 17 | 0 | 36° – 48° |
| March | 55° | 38° | 6.9" | 0.3" | 20 | 0 | 43° – 51° |
| April | 60° | 41° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| June | 72° | 51° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| July | 80° | 55° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| August | 81° | 55° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 75° | 50° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 59° – 65° |
| October | 63° | 44° | 6.1" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| November | 52° | 39° | 9.4" | 0.4" | 20 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| December | 45° | 35° | 9.5" | 1.5" | 21 | 0 | 35° – 43° |
| Year | 62° | 44° | 64.0" | 6.2" | 177 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 48°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Fern Prairie’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 Fern Prairie’s center.
- Snow: Skamania Fish Hatchery, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Skamania Fish Hatchery, WA, 9 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 Fern Prairie’s climate
What is the weather like in Fern Prairie?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 36°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fern Prairie in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 81 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Fern Prairie get?
About 6.2 inches in a normal winter at Skamania Fish Hatchery, WA, heaviest from January through February, about 2 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Fern Prairie?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 55°. About 15 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Skamania Fish Hatchery, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Fern Prairie?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 177 frost-free days, at Skamania Fish Hatchery, WA.
What growing zone is Fern Prairie in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fern Prairie?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Fern Prairie getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fern Prairie.
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.