Grays River Covered Bridge · Photo: Travisl · CC BY 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect more precipitation than Grays River: 89 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 35°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in almost every U.S. town. The latest 30-year average runs 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Long walks are most pleasant from May to September, when afternoons reach 64–75°.
A year in Grays River at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Grays River’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Grays River’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Grays River feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 178 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Grays Rvr Hatchery, WA, 1.7 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Grays River’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Grays Rvr Hatchery, WA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 89 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 173 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Grays River
98% 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 Grays Rvr Hatchery, WA.
Living with Grays River’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
178 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 and September. 7.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Grays River from natural hazards, tsunamis are the largest share (34%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Grays River and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Grays River in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Grays River’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grays River, WA | 35° | 74° | 89" | 2.1" |
| Brookings, OR | 42° | 69° | 73" | 0.0" |
| Crescent City, CA | 42° | 64° | 69" | 0.0" |
| Brevard, NC | 27° | 83° | 69" | 7.1" |
| Signal Mountain, TN | 29° | 85° | 62" | 4.3" |
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 Grays River averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Grays River compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Grays River’s place among Washington’s.
Grays River weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Grays River’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Grays Rvr Hatchery, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 35° | 13.6" | 1.5" | 20 | 0 | 36° – 46° |
| February | 51° | 34° | 8.9" | 0.3" | 17 | 0 | 37° – 48° |
| March | 54° | 36° | 10.1" | 0.1" | 20 | 0 | 41° – 49° |
| April | 59° | 38° | 7.2" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 44° – 53° |
| May | 64° | 43° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 50° – 57° |
| June | 68° | 48° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 61° |
| July | 74° | 51° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| August | 75° | 51° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 65° |
| September | 72° | 47° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| October | 62° | 42° | 8.6" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| November | 52° | 37° | 13.4" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 | 40° – 50° |
| December | 47° | 34° | 13.9" | 0.2" | 21 | 0 | 36° – 44° |
| Year | 60° | 41° | 88.7" | 2.1" | 173 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 48°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Grays River’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 Grays River’s center.
- Snow: Grays Rvr Hatchery, WA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Grays Rvr Hatchery, WA, 1.7 miles from the town’s center, 240 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 Grays River’s climate
What is the weather like in Grays River?
A typical July afternoon reaches 74°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 155 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Grays River in winter?
February nights average 34°. About 78 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Grays River get?
About 2.1 inches in a normal winter at Grays Rvr Hatchery, WA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Grays River?
July, with a typical high of 74° and a low of 51°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Grays Rvr Hatchery, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Grays River?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 178 frost-free days, at Grays Rvr Hatchery, WA.
What growing zone is Grays River in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Grays River?
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 Grays River getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Grays River.
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.