Leavenworth Ski Hill Historic District · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 3.0Leavenworth gets about 80 inches of snow a winter, more than 95% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 86°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 91% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. For walks and days out, May, June and September bring highs of 71–77°.
A year in Leavenworth at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Leavenworth’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Leavenworth’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Leavenworth feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 142 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Leavenworth 3 S, WA, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Leavenworth’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 80 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Leavenworth 3 S, WA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 99 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Leavenworth
95% 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 Leavenworth 3 S, WA.
Living with Leavenworth’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
142 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 10 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 5.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Leavenworth from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Leavenworth and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Leavenworth yet.
Climates most like Leavenworth’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leavenworth, WA | 24° | 86° | 17" | 80" |
| Fairmount, CO | 19° | 88° | 18" | 76" |
| Pocatello, ID | 19° | 87° | 15" | 64" |
| Klamath Falls, OR | 22° | 86° | 14" | 52" |
| Alpine, UT | 21° | 88° | 24" | 74" |
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 Leavenworth averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°).
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 Leavenworth compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Leavenworth’s place among Washington’s.
Leavenworth weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Leavenworth’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Leavenworth 3 S, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 24° | 2.8" | 22.1" | 14 | 22° – 35° |
| February | 43° | 26° | 1.9" | 12.6" | 11 | 24° – 41° |
| March | 53° | 31° | 1.5" | 4.7" | 9 | 37° – 48° |
| April | 61° | 36° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 43° – 56° |
| May | 71° | 44° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 52° – 63° |
| June | 77° | 50° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 59° – 72° |
| July | 86° | 55° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 63° – 75° |
| August | 86° | 54° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 77° | 46° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 58° – 67° |
| October | 61° | 37° | 1.6" | 0.3" | 9 | 43° – 54° |
| November | 45° | 30° | 2.5" | 8.1" | 14 | 33° – 44° |
| December | 35° | 24° | 3.3" | 32.4" | 14 | 25° – 35° |
| Year | 61° | 38° | 17.4" | 80.2" | 99 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 41°. September is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Leavenworth’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 Leavenworth’s center.
- Snow: Leavenworth 3 S, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Leavenworth 3 S, WA, 2.5 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 Leavenworth’s climate
What is the weather like in Leavenworth?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 80 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Leavenworth in winter?
January nights average 24°. About 160 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Leavenworth get?
About 80 inches in a normal winter at Leavenworth 3 S, WA, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Leavenworth?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 55°. About 39 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Leavenworth 3 S, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Leavenworth?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 142 frost-free days, at Leavenworth 3 S, WA.
What growing zone is Leavenworth in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Leavenworth?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Leavenworth 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 Leavenworth.
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.