Red Men Hall · Photo: Carnuck · CC0Few U.S. towns get more rain and snow than Index: 99 inches a year
January mornings start at about 32°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in almost every U.S. town. Warming shows here too: 1.0° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Plan time outside from May to September, when highs sit at 64–75°.
A year in Index at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Index’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Index’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Index feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 197 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 14 and the first by October 29. Frost and day counts come from Baring, WA, 5 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Index’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 44 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Baring, WA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 99 inches a year; November is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 184 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Index
97% 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 Baring, WA.
Living with Index’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
197 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 14 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Index from natural hazards, landslides are the largest share (71%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Index and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Index yet.
Climates most like Index’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Index, WA | 32° | 74° | 99" | 44" |
| Tillamook, OR | 38° | 71° | 87" | 0.2" |
| Juneau, AK | 27° | 63° | 90" | 88" |
| Brevard, NC | 27° | 83° | 69" | 7.1" |
| Crossville, TN | 27° | 84° | 59" | 14" |
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 Index averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
A smaller shift than in 75% 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 Index compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Index’s place among Washington’s.
Index weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Index’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Baring, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 32° | 14.2" | 13.8" | 20 | 16 | 32° – 43° |
| February | 46° | 32° | 9.7" | 4.6" | 17 | 9 | 31° – 45° |
| March | 51° | 34° | 10.6" | 3.8" | 20 | 3 | 37° – 48° |
| April | 56° | 37° | 7.8" | 0.8" | 18 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| May | 64° | 43° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| June | 68° | 47° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| July | 74° | 51° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| August | 75° | 52° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| September | 69° | 47° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 54° – 61° |
| October | 58° | 41° | 10.4" | 0.1" | 17 | 0 | 46° – 54° |
| November | 47° | 36° | 15.2" | 4.2" | 20 | 3 | 35° – 46° |
| December | 41° | 32° | 13.5" | 17.0" | 20 | 12 | 32° – 40° |
| Year | 58° | 40° | 99.0" | 44.3" | 184 | 43 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 45°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Index’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 Index’s center.
- Snow: Baring, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Baring, WA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 600 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Index’s climate
What is the weather like in Index?
A typical July afternoon reaches 74°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 186 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Index in winter?
February nights average 32°. About 69 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 31°.
How much snow does Index get?
About 44 inches in a normal winter at Baring, WA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 43 days a year.
How hot does it get in Index?
July, with a typical high of 74° and a low of 51°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Baring, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Index?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 14 and the first fall frost by October 29, about 197 frost-free days, at Baring, WA.
What growing zone is Index 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 Index?
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 Index getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Index.
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.