Photo: Sam Beebe · CC BY 2.0Goldendale’s winters are milder but snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Goldendale at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Goldendale’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Goldendale’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Goldendale feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 126 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Goldendale, WA, 1.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Goldendale’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 27 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Goldendale, WA, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 101 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Goldendale
95% 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 Goldendale, WA.
Living with Goldendale’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
126 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 19 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 4.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Goldendale from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Goldendale and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Goldendale yet.
Climates most like Goldendale’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goldendale, WA | 27° | 86° | 17" | 27" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
| Silver City, NM | 26° | 87° | 16" | 13" |
| Dakota Ridge, CO | 19° | 87° | 18" | 34" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
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 Goldendale averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 Goldendale compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Goldendale’s place among Washington’s.
Goldendale weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Goldendale’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Goldendale, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 27° | 2.8" | 10.2" | 14 | 23° – 38° |
| February | 45° | 28° | 1.9" | 3.5" | 11 | 27° – 43° |
| March | 52° | 32° | 1.7" | 0.6" | 11 | 34° – 47° |
| April | 60° | 36° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 42° – 54° |
| May | 69° | 42° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 50° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 47° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 56° – 70° |
| July | 86° | 53° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 61° – 73° |
| August | 86° | 52° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 77° | 46° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 62° | 37° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 2.5" | 2.7" | 13 | 33° – 44° |
| December | 38° | 26° | 3.3" | 9.6" | 15 | 27° – 36° |
| Year | 61° | 38° | 17.4" | 26.6" | 101 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 43°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Goldendale’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 Goldendale’s center.
- Snow: Goldendale, WA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Goldendale, WA, 1.2 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 Goldendale’s climate
What is the weather like in Goldendale?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Goldendale in winter?
December nights average 26°. About 144 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 27°.
How much snow does Goldendale get?
About 27 inches in a normal winter at Goldendale, WA, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Goldendale?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 53°. About 35 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Goldendale, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Goldendale?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 126 frost-free days, at Goldendale, WA.
What growing zone is Goldendale 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 Goldendale?
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 Goldendale getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Goldendale.
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.