Photo: Sea Cow · CC BY-SA 4.0Few U.S. towns get more rain and snow than Forks: 109 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 35°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 37°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than almost every U.S. town. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 62–71°.
A year in Forks at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Forks’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Forks’ place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Forks feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 182 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Forks 1 E, WA, 1.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Forks’ center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 21°. 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 8 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Forks 1 E, WA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 109 inches a year; January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 215 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Forks
99% 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 Forks 1 E, WA.
Living with Forks’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
182 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Forks from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Forks and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Forks yet.
Climates most like Forks’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forks, WA | 35° | 70° | 109" | 7.9" |
| Tillamook, OR | 38° | 71° | 87" | 0.2" |
| Juneau, AK | 27° | 63° | 90" | 88" |
| Crescent City, CA | 42° | 64° | 69" | 0.0" |
| Hawaiian Paradise Park, HI | 64° | 83° | 120" | 0.0" |
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 Forks averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 85% 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 Forks compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Forks’ place among Washington’s.
Forks weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Forks’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Forks 1 E, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 35° | 17.3" | 3.1" | 23 | 2 | 36° – 45° |
| February | 49° | 35° | 10.6" | 1.3" | 20 | 0 | 35° – 48° |
| March | 52° | 36° | 12.8" | 0.5" | 23 | 0 | 41° – 49° |
| April | 57° | 39° | 8.5" | 0.1" | 20 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| May | 62° | 44° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| June | 66° | 48° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 54° – 60° |
| July | 70° | 51° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 63° |
| August | 71° | 51° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 59° – 63° |
| September | 68° | 47° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 55° – 62° |
| October | 59° | 42° | 11.0" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| November | 51° | 38° | 16.7" | 1.0" | 23 | 1 | 41° – 48° |
| December | 46° | 35° | 15.7" | 1.9" | 24 | 2 | 36° – 43° |
| Year | 58° | 42° | 109.3" | 7.9" | 215 | 5 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 48°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Forks’ 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 Forks’ center.
- Snow: Forks 1 E, WA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Forks 1 E, WA, 1.7 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 Forks’ climate
What is the weather like in Forks?
A typical July afternoon reaches 70°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 78 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Forks in winter?
February nights average 35°. About 60 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Forks get?
About 7.9 inches in a normal winter at Forks 1 E, WA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 5 days a year.
How hot does it get in Forks?
July, with a typical high of 70° and a low of 51°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Forks 1 E, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Forks?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 182 frost-free days, at Forks 1 E, WA.
What growing zone is Forks in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Forks?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Forks getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 85% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Forks.
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.