Photo: Jelson25 · Public domainFriday Harbor sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
On a normal January night the air cools to about 37°. Precipitation peaks in November and eases off in July. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 87% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from May to September, with highs of 63–72°.
A year in Friday Harbor at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Friday Harbor’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Friday Harbor’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Friday Harbor feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 230 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 26 and the first by November 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Friday Harbor Airport, 0.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Friday Harbor’s 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°
About 6 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Olga 2 Se, WA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 24 inches a year; November is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 125 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Friday Harbor
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 Friday Harbor Airport.
Living with Friday Harbor’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
230 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 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 Nov 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Friday Harbor from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (60%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Friday Harbor and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Friday Harbor yet.
Climates most like Friday Harbor’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friday Harbor, WA | 37° | 72° | 24" | 5.8" |
| Watsonville, CA | 41° | 73° | 22" | 0.0" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Hillsboro, OR | 35° | 81° | 38" | 5.2" |
| Nantucket, MA | 26° | 76° | 44" | 25" |
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 Friday Harbor averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 84% 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 Friday Harbor compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Friday Harbor’s place among Washington’s.
Friday Harbor weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Friday Harbor’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Olga 2 Se, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 37° | 3.3" | 1.8" | 15 | 2 | 36° – 46° |
| February | 48° | 37° | 2.0" | 0.4" | 11 | 0 | 35° – 47° |
| March | 52° | 39° | 2.0" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 41° – 49° |
| April | 57° | 42° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 45° – 53° |
| May | 63° | 46° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 58° |
| June | 68° | 50° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 62° |
| July | 72° | 52° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 65° |
| August | 72° | 52° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 59° – 64° |
| September | 67° | 50° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 61° |
| October | 57° | 45° | 2.7" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 55° |
| November | 50° | 40° | 4.2" | 0.6" | 15 | 1 | 42° – 49° |
| December | 46° | 37° | 3.2" | 2.8" | 15 | 2 | 36° – 44° |
| Year | 58° | 44° | 24.4" | 5.8" | 125 | 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 47°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Friday Harbor’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 Friday Harbor’s center.
- Snow: Olga 2 Se, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Friday Harbor Airport, 0.8 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 Friday Harbor’s climate
What is the weather like in Friday Harbor?
A typical July afternoon reaches 72°, a January night drops to 37°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 109 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Friday Harbor in winter?
February nights average 37°. About 40 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Friday Harbor get?
About 5.8 inches in a normal winter at Olga 2 Se, WA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 5 days a year.
How hot does it get in Friday Harbor?
July, with a typical high of 72°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Friday Harbor Airport.
When is the first and last frost in Friday Harbor?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 26 and the first fall frost by November 10, about 230 frost-free days, at Friday Harbor Airport.
What growing zone is Friday Harbor 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 Friday Harbor?
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 Friday Harbor getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Friday Harbor.
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.