Whitman Mission National Historic Site · Photo: National Park Service · Public domainGarrett’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Garrett at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Garrett’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Garrett’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Garrett feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 151 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 2 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Whitman Mission, WA, 2.6 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Garrett’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 7 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Milton Freewater, OR, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 83 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Garrett
91% 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 Whitman Mission, WA.
Living with Garrett’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
151 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 2 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Garrett from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Garrett and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Garrett in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Garrett’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garrett, WA | 30° | 91° | 15" | 7.2" |
| Prescott Valley, AZ | 26° | 91° | 14" | 10" |
| Alpine, TX | 30° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
| Yreka, CA | 29° | 91° | 20" | 12" |
| Talent, OR | 31° | 92° | 19" | 3.6" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Garrett averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.1°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Garrett compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Garrett’s place among Washington’s.
Garrett weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Garrett’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Milton Freewater, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 30° | 1.8" | 2.4" | 10 | 23° – 44° |
| February | 48° | 31° | 1.5" | 1.3" | 9 | 28° – 46° |
| March | 58° | 36° | 1.5" | 0.1" | 10 | 38° – 51° |
| April | 65° | 41° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 48° – 58° |
| May | 73° | 47° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 56° – 65° |
| June | 80° | 53° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 62° – 75° |
| July | 91° | 59° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 68° – 80° |
| August | 90° | 58° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 69° – 77° |
| September | 80° | 51° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 62° – 70° |
| October | 65° | 41° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 51° | 34° | 1.8" | 0.3" | 10 | 36° – 49° |
| December | 42° | 29° | 1.9" | 3.1" | 10 | 29° – 40° |
| Year | 65° | 43° | 15.4" | 7.2" | 83 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 44°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Garrett’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 Garrett’s center.
- Snow: Milton Freewater, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Whitman Mission, WA, 2.6 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower; 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 Garrett’s climate
What is the weather like in Garrett?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 7 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Garrett in winter?
December nights average 29°. About 125 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Garrett get?
About 7.2 inches in a normal winter at Milton Freewater, OR, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Garrett?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 59°. About 44 days a year reach 90° and 8 reach 100° (Whitman Mission, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Garrett?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 2 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 151 frost-free days, at Whitman Mission, WA.
What growing zone is Garrett in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Garrett?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Garrett getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Garrett.
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.