Lake Cavanaugh sits near the top of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 91 inches a year
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 34° on average. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in almost every U.S. town. The latest 30-year average runs 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about March 27, with the first autumn frost due around November 6.
A year in Lake Cavanaugh at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lake Cavanaugh’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lake Cavanaugh’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Lake Cavanaugh 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. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Arlington, WA, 10 miles from the town’s center, 930 ft lower; frost dates and degree days from Sedro-woolley, WA, 16 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lake Cavanaugh’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 Sedro-woolley, WA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 91 inches a year; November is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 186 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lake Cavanaugh
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 Sedro-woolley, WA.
Living with Lake Cavanaugh’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: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lake Cavanaugh from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lake Cavanaugh and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lake Cavanaugh yet.
Climates most like Lake Cavanaugh’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Cavanaugh, WA | 34° | 72° | 91" | 5.7" |
| Tillamook, OR | 38° | 71° | 87" | 0.2" |
| Crescent City, CA | 42° | 64° | 69" | 0.0" |
| Brevard, NC | 27° | 83° | 69" | 7.1" |
| Juneau, AK | 27° | 63° | 90" | 88" |
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 Lake Cavanaugh averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°).
A smaller shift than in 73% 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 Lake Cavanaugh compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lake Cavanaugh’s place among Washington’s.
Lake Cavanaugh weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lake Cavanaugh’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sedro-woolley, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 34° | 12.6" | 0.6" | 20 | 2 | 31° – 43° |
| February | 45° | 34° | 8.6" | 0.2" | 17 | 0 | 31° – 44° |
| March | 49° | 35° | 10.0" | 0.4" | 20 | 0 | 38° – 47° |
| April | 55° | 39° | 7.3" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| May | 62° | 44° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| June | 65° | 48° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| July | 72° | 53° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| August | 73° | 53° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| September | 67° | 50° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 56° – 62° |
| October | 56° | 43° | 9.6" | 0.1" | 18 | 0 | 46° – 54° |
| November | 46° | 37° | 14.0" | 0.7" | 21 | 1 | 37° – 46° |
| December | 41° | 33° | 12.0" | 3.7" | 21 | 1 | 32° – 40° |
| Year | 56° | 42° | 91.4" | 5.7" | 186 | 4 |
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 44°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Lake Cavanaugh’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 Lake Cavanaugh’s center.
- Snow: Sedro-woolley, WA.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Sedro-woolley, WA, 16 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Arlington, WA, 10 miles from the town’s center, 930 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 Lake Cavanaugh’s climate
What is the weather like in Lake Cavanaugh?
A typical July afternoon reaches 72°, a January night drops to 34°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 118 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lake Cavanaugh in winter?
December nights average 33°. About 94 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Lake Cavanaugh get?
About 5.7 inches in a normal winter at Sedro-woolley, WA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 4 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lake Cavanaugh?
July, with a typical high of 72° and a low of 53°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Sedro-woolley, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Lake Cavanaugh?
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 Lake Cavanaugh 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 Lake Cavanaugh?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lake Cavanaugh getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 73% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lake Cavanaugh.
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.