Few U.S. towns have cooler summers than Maple Heights-Lake Desire
Deep winter brings January lows near 35°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 41°. In January, nights here are milder than in 81% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 65–76°.
A year in Maple Heights-Lake Desire at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Maple Heights-Lake Desire’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Maple Heights-Lake Desire’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Maple Heights-Lake Desire 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 20 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Landsburg, WA, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Maple Heights-Lake Desire’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 19°. 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 Seattle Tacoma International Airport, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; November is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 156 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Maple Heights-Lake Desire
98% 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 Landsburg, WA.
Living with Maple Heights-Lake Desire’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
187 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 20 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 16 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Maple Heights-Lake Desire from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Maple Heights-Lake Desire and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Maple Heights-Lake Desire in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Maple Heights-Lake Desire’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maple Heights-Lake Desire, WA | 35° | 76° | 47" | 6.3" |
| Silverton, OR | 36° | 81° | 46" | 1.1" |
| Ben Lomond, CA | 40° | 79° | 43" | 0.0" |
| Nantucket, MA | 26° | 76° | 44" | 25" |
| Galax, VA | 25° | 82° | 48" | 17" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Maple Heights-Lake Desire averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 86% 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 Heights-Lake Desire compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Maple Heights-Lake Desire’s place among Washington’s.
Maple Heights-Lake Desire weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Maple Heights-Lake Desire’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Seattle Tacoma International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 35° | 6.6" | 1.8" | 19 | 1 | 36° – 45° |
| February | 49° | 35° | 4.5" | 2.2" | 16 | 1 | 35° – 48° |
| March | 53° | 37° | 4.9" | 0.4" | 17 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 41° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| May | 65° | 46° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| June | 69° | 51° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| July | 76° | 55° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| August | 76° | 55° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| September | 70° | 51° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| October | 60° | 44° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| November | 51° | 38° | 7.1" | 0.2" | 18 | 0 | 40° – 49° |
| December | 45° | 35° | 6.5" | 1.7" | 18 | 1 | 36° – 43° |
| Year | 60° | 44° | 47.0" | 6.3" | 156 | 4 |
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 7°.
Where Maple Heights-Lake Desire’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 Maple Heights-Lake Desire’s center.
- Snow: Seattle Tacoma International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Landsburg, 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 Maple Heights-Lake Desire’s climate
What is the weather like in Maple Heights-Lake Desire?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Maple Heights-Lake Desire in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 70 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Maple Heights-Lake Desire get?
About 6.3 inches in a normal winter at Seattle Tacoma International Airport, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 4 days a year.
How hot does it get in Maple Heights-Lake Desire?
July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 55°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Landsburg, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Maple Heights-Lake Desire?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 20 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 187 frost-free days, at Landsburg, WA.
What growing zone is Maple Heights-Lake Desire in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Maple Heights-Lake Desire?
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 Heights-Lake Desire getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Maple Heights-Lake Desire.
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.