Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns have cooler summers than Kingston
In January the night’s low is typically 36°. Winter and summer sit 41° apart. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 82% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside from May to September, when highs sit at 65–76°.
A year in Kingston at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kingston’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kingston’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Kingston feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 259 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 8 and the first by November 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Seattle Sand Pt Wsfo, WA, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kingston’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 21°. 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 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Seattle Sand Pt Wsfo, WA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; November is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 163 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Kingston
96% 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 Seattle Sand Pt Wsfo, WA.
Living with Kingston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
259 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 8 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kingston from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kingston and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Kingston yet.
Climates most like Kingston’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston, WA | 36° | 75° | 37" | 3.8" |
| Fairfax, CA | 41° | 76° | 38" | 0.0" |
| West Haven-Sylvan, OR | 36° | 80° | 44" | 3.6" |
| Nantucket, MA | 26° | 76° | 44" | 25" |
| Brigantine, NJ | 28° | 83° | 45" | 10" |
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 Kingston averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 63% 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 Kingston compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kingston’s place among Washington’s.
Kingston weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Kingston’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Seattle Sand Pt Wsfo, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 36° | 5.0" | 0.9" | 19 | 1 | 37° – 46° |
| February | 49° | 36° | 3.6" | 1.0" | 16 | 1 | 35° – 48° |
| March | 54° | 38° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 41° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| May | 65° | 47° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| June | 69° | 51° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| July | 75° | 54° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| August | 76° | 54° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| September | 70° | 51° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 64° |
| October | 60° | 44° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| November | 51° | 39° | 5.5" | 0.2" | 19 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| December | 46° | 35° | 5.4" | 1.7" | 20 | 1 | 36° – 43° |
| Year | 60° | 44° | 36.7" | 3.8" | 163 | 2 |
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 48°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Kingston’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 Kingston’s center.
- Snow: Seattle Sand Pt Wsfo, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Seattle Sand Pt Wsfo, WA, 14 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 Kingston’s climate
What is the weather like in Kingston?
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 36°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kingston in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 25 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Kingston get?
About 3.8 inches in a normal winter at Seattle Sand Pt Wsfo, WA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Kingston?
July, with a typical high of 75° and a low of 54°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Seattle Sand Pt Wsfo, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Kingston?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 8 and the first fall frost by November 23, about 259 frost-free days, at Seattle Sand Pt Wsfo, WA.
What growing zone is Kingston in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Kingston?
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 Kingston getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 63% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Kingston.
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.