Photo: Bobak Ha'Eri · CC BY 3.0Less rain and snow falls on Manson than on 95% of U.S. towns: 13 inches a year
Sunny July days climb to about 87°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 63% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.3° higher. The outdoor season, with highs of 72–78°, runs through May, June and September.
A year in Manson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Manson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Manson’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Manson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 187 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 17 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Chelan, WA, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Manson’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. 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 21 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Chelan, WA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 71 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Manson
90% 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 Chelan, WA.
Living with Manson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
187 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 17 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 1.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Manson from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Manson and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Manson yet.
Climates most like Manson’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manson, WA | 23° | 87° | 13" | 21" |
| Cold Springs, NV | 23° | 88° | 13" | 17" |
| Eldorado at Santa Fe, NM | 19° | 87° | 13" | 20" |
| Burley, ID | 21° | 89° | 10" | 21" |
| Redmond, OR | 25° | 86° | 9" | 22" |
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 Manson averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A smaller shift than in 58% 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 Manson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Manson’s place among Washington’s.
Manson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Manson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Chelan, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 23° | 1.8" | 7.7" | 9 | 21° – 34° |
| February | 41° | 25° | 1.3" | 2.0" | 7 | 22° – 39° |
| March | 52° | 31° | 1.2" | 0.7" | 7 | 37° – 47° |
| April | 62° | 37° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 44° – 56° |
| May | 72° | 45° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 53° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 51° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 61° – 73° |
| July | 87° | 57° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 65° – 76° |
| August | 87° | 57° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 65° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 48° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 60° – 68° |
| October | 61° | 38° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 44° – 54° |
| November | 44° | 30° | 1.7" | 1.4" | 9 | 32° – 43° |
| December | 33° | 23° | 2.3" | 8.7" | 10 | 22° – 34° |
| Year | 61° | 39° | 12.9" | 20.5" | 71 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 39°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Manson’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 Manson’s center.
- Snow: Chelan, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Chelan, WA, 8 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 Manson’s climate
What is the weather like in Manson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Manson in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 109 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Manson get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter at Chelan, WA, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Manson?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 57°. About 25 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Chelan, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Manson?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 17 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 187 frost-free days, at Chelan, WA.
What growing zone is Manson in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Manson?
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 Manson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Manson.
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.