Photo: Pierce County Library (Life time: Pierce County Library) · Public domainFew U.S. towns have cooler summers than Kapowsin
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 34° on average. November is the wettest month, July the driest. Its January nights stay gentler than in 79% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 11; in half of years the first frost comes by October 30.
A year in Kapowsin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kapowsin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kapowsin’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Kapowsin feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 202 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mcmillin Reservoir, WA, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kapowsin’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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 6 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Mcmillin Reservoir, WA, falls mostly in January, November and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; November is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 166 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Kapowsin
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 Mcmillin Reservoir, WA.
Living with Kapowsin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
202 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 11 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kapowsin from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (84%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kapowsin and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Kapowsin in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Kapowsin’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kapowsin, WA | 34° | 77° | 48" | 5.6" |
| Cottage Grove, OR | 35° | 82° | 47" | 2.7" |
| Ben Lomond, CA | 40° | 79° | 43" | 0.0" |
| Orleans, MA | 25° | 77° | 45" | 25" |
| Galax, VA | 25° | 82° | 48" | 17" |
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 Kapowsin averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 67% 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 Kapowsin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kapowsin’s place among Washington’s.
Kapowsin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Kapowsin’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mcmillin Reservoir, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 34° | 5.9" | 1.5" | 20 | 2 | 35° – 45° |
| February | 49° | 34° | 4.5" | 0.5" | 15 | 0 | 35° – 47° |
| March | 53° | 36° | 5.0" | 0.6" | 20 | 1 | 40° – 49° |
| April | 58° | 39° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| May | 65° | 45° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| June | 70° | 49° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| July | 77° | 52° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| August | 77° | 53° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| September | 71° | 48° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| October | 59° | 42° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| November | 50° | 37° | 6.6" | 1.5" | 19 | 1 | 39° – 48° |
| December | 45° | 34° | 6.3" | 1.5" | 20 | 2 | 35° – 42° |
| Year | 60° | 42° | 48.3" | 5.6" | 166 | 5 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 47°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Kapowsin’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 Kapowsin’s center.
- Snow: Mcmillin Reservoir, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mcmillin Reservoir, WA, 12 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 Kapowsin’s climate
What is the weather like in Kapowsin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 34°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kapowsin in winter?
February nights average 34°. About 60 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Kapowsin get?
About 5.6 inches in a normal winter at Mcmillin Reservoir, WA, most of it in January, November and December, with snow on the ground about 5 days a year.
How hot does it get in Kapowsin?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 52°. About 3 days a year reach 90° (Mcmillin Reservoir, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Kapowsin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 202 frost-free days, at Mcmillin Reservoir, WA.
What growing zone is Kapowsin 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 Kapowsin?
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 Kapowsin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Kapowsin.
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.