Photo: A. Balet · CC BY 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect more precipitation than Hamilton: 74 inches a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 77°. Rain follows the seasons: November brings about 6.1 times as much as July. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 98% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about March 27; in half of years the first frost comes by November 6.
A year in Hamilton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hamilton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hamilton’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Hamilton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 224 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 27 and the first by November 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sedro-woolley, WA, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hamilton’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 16 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Concrete Ppl Fish Stn, WA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 74 inches a year; November is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 185 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hamilton
98% 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 Sedro-woolley, WA.
Living with Hamilton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
224 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 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 Nov 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 3.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hamilton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (78%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hamilton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hamilton yet.
Climates most like Hamilton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton, WA | 34° | 77° | 74" | 16" |
| Brevard, NC | 27° | 83° | 69" | 7.1" |
| Sandy, OR | 35° | 80° | 57" | 2.2" |
| Crossville, TN | 27° | 84° | 59" | 14" |
| Fort Payne, AL | 31° | 86° | 60" | 5.0" |
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 Hamilton averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Hamilton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hamilton’s place among Washington’s.
Hamilton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hamilton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Concrete Ppl Fish Stn, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 34° | 10.0" | 5.0" | 21 | 7 | 32° – 44° |
| February | 48° | 34° | 6.6" | 1.5" | 18 | 2 | 33° – 46° |
| March | 53° | 37° | 7.7" | 1.3" | 20 | 1 | 40° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 40° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| May | 67° | 46° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| June | 70° | 50° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| July | 77° | 53° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| August | 77° | 53° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| September | 71° | 49° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| October | 60° | 43° | 7.7" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| November | 49° | 38° | 11.1" | 0.9" | 21 | 1 | 39° – 47° |
| December | 43° | 33° | 9.3" | 7.6" | 21 | 3 | 34° – 41° |
| Year | 60° | 42° | 74.0" | 16.3" | 185 | 15 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 46°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Hamilton’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 Hamilton’s center.
- Snow: Concrete Ppl Fish Stn, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sedro-woolley, WA, 11 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 Hamilton’s climate
What is the weather like in Hamilton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 34°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hamilton in winter?
December nights average 33°. About 46 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Hamilton get?
About 16 inches in a normal winter at Concrete Ppl Fish Stn, WA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 15 days a year.
How hot does it get in Hamilton?
July, with a typical high of 77°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Sedro-woolley, WA.
When is the first and last frost in Hamilton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 27 and the first fall frost by November 6, about 224 frost-free days, at Sedro-woolley, WA.
What growing zone is Hamilton in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hamilton?
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 Hamilton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hamilton.
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.