Few U.S. towns get more rain and snow than Maple Falls: 72 inches a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 74°. November is the wettest month, July the driest. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in almost every U.S. town. Tender plants can go out after about March 31; in half of years the first frost comes by October 30.
A year in Maple Falls at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Maple Falls’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Maple Falls’ place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Maple Falls feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 211 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bellingham International Airport, 22 miles from the town’s center, 470 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Maple Falls’ center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 14°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 11 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Clearbrook, WA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 72 inches a year; November is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 168 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Maple Falls
99% 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 Bellingham International Airport.
Living with Maple Falls’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
211 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 31 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. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Maple Falls from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (79%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Maple Falls and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Maple Falls yet.
Climates most like Maple Falls’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maple Falls, WA | 32° | 74° | 72" | 11" |
| Brookings, OR | 42° | 69° | 73" | 0.0" |
| Boone, NC | 24° | 79° | 58" | 26" |
| Fortuna, CA | 42° | 70° | 55" | 0.7" |
| Crossville, TN | 27° | 84° | 59" | 14" |
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 Maple Falls averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 56% 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 Maple Falls compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Maple Falls’ place among Washington’s.
Maple Falls weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Maple Falls’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Clearbrook, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 32° | 10.0" | 3.1" | 18 | 29° – 42° |
| February | 45° | 33° | 6.1" | 2.7" | 15 | 30° – 45° |
| March | 49° | 36° | 7.1" | 1.0" | 19 | 36° – 48° |
| April | 56° | 40° | 5.2" | 0.1" | 16 | 43° – 53° |
| May | 63° | 45° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 50° – 58° |
| June | 67° | 49° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 55° – 64° |
| July | 74° | 54° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 60° – 67° |
| August | 74° | 55° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 61° – 68° |
| September | 68° | 52° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 57° – 63° |
| October | 56° | 44° | 7.2" | 0.0" | 16 | 47° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 36° | 11.4" | 1.3" | 19 | 37° – 46° |
| December | 40° | 32° | 9.4" | 2.6" | 19 | 30° – 40° |
| Year | 57° | 42° | 71.7" | 10.8" | 168 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 30° to 45°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Maple Falls’ 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 Maple Falls’ center.
- Snow: Clearbrook, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bellingham International Airport, 22 miles from the town’s center, 470 ft lower; 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 Maple Falls’ climate
What is the weather like in Maple Falls?
A typical July afternoon reaches 74°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 158 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Maple Falls in winter?
December nights average 32°. About 59 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 30°.
How much snow does Maple Falls get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter at Clearbrook, WA, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Maple Falls?
July, with a typical high of 74°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Bellingham International Airport.
When is the first and last frost in Maple Falls?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 211 frost-free days, at Bellingham International Airport.
What growing zone is Maple Falls in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Maple Falls?
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 Maple Falls getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Maple Falls.
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.