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Lake Wilderness in Maple ValleyPhoto: Yordanpopovbg · CC BY-SA 4.0
Climate in Maple Valley · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Maple Valley’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.

A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns#179Mildest winters  of 265 in WA
Less snow than 55% of U.S. towns#218Least snow  of 253 in WA
All WA rankings →

A year in Maple Valley at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan46°35° 6" snow
Feb49°34° 4" snow
Mar53°36°
Apr58°40° Last frost ~Apr 20
May65°45°
Jun69°50° 1 day 90°+
Jul76°53° 2 days 90°+
Aug77°53° 2 days 90°+
Sep70°49°
Oct60°43° First frost ~Oct 25
Nov now51°38° Wettest
Dec45°34° 4" snow

What stands out about Maple Valley’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Maple Valley’s place in Washington beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Maple Valley feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
47° / 34°
6 days with 1"+ of snow
Spring
59° / 40°
Last frost around Apr 20
Summer
74° / 52°
5 days reach 90°
Fall
60° / 43°
First frost around Oct 25
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

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, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

70
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
178th fewest of 265 in Washington
Fewer freezing nights than 73% of U.S. towns
0
nights at or below 0°
None in a normal year
5
days that reach 90°
158th fewest of 265 in Washington
Fewer 90° days than 90% of U.S. towns
0
days that reach 100°
None in a normal year
8bUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 8b

The 2023 USDA map puts Maple Valley’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 18°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

15
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

2.3
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 18 inches of snow a winter

Snow, measured at Palmer 3 Ese, WA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 52 inches a year; November is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 200 days a year.

52"
Rain + melted snow a year
44th wettest of 265 in Washington
Wetter than 88% of U.S. towns
18"
Snow in a normal winter
218th least snowy of 253 in Washington
Less snow than 55% of U.S. towns
13 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
203rd fewest of 238 in Washington
Fewer days with snow on the ground than 58% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

7.5"
JFMAMJJASOND

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow

6"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Maple Valley

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.

5,407 heating degree daysMore heating than 52% of U.S. towns
130 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 98% of U.S. towns

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 here

Living with Maple Valley’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

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.

Get outside

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 →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Maple Valley from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door

Maple Valley and its neighbors

Kent the hottest July afternoons (77°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.

Mirrormont: January low 34°, July high 71°East Renton Highlands: January low 36°, July high 76°Lake Holm: January low 35°, July high 77°Auburn: January low 36°, July high 77°Black Diamond: January low 34°, July high 76°Shadow Lake: January low 35°, July high 76°Tukwila: January low 36°, July high 77°Des Moines: January low 36°, July high 77°SeaTac: January low 36°, July high 77°Renton: January low 36°, July high 77°Hobart: January low 35°, July high 76°Lake Morton-Berrydale: January low 35°, July high 77°Covington: January low 35°, July high 77°Kent: January low 36°, July high 77°Maple Valley: January low 35°, July high 76°Maple ValleyHobartLake Morton-BerrydaleCovingtonKent
ColderMilder34° to 36°
Maple Valley34.5°
Hobart34.7° about the same
Covington34.9° about the same
Lake Morton-Berrydale35.0° about the same
Kent35.7° +1.2°

Climates most like Maple Valley’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.

TownJan. lowJuly highPrecip.Snow
Maple Valley, WA35°76°52"18"
Stayton, OR35°81°51"16"
Orleans, MA25°77°45"25"
Boone, NC24°79°58"26"
Newport, RI24°81°47"26"

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.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Maple Valley averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).

+0.9°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 86% of U.S. towns.

Winter+1.2°now 41°, was 39°
Spring+0.6°now 50°, was 49°
Summer+1.1°now 63°, was 62°
Fall+0.6°now 52°, was 51°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Maple Valley compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Maple Valley’s place among Washington’s.

Summer heat76° July high
Cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns89th coolest of 265 in Washington
Winter cold35° January low
Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns179th mildest of 265 in Washington
Precipitation52" a year
Wetter than 88% of U.S. towns44th wettest of 265 in Washington
Snow18" a winter
Less snow than 55% of U.S. towns218th least snowy of 253 in Washington
Hot days5 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 90% of U.S. towns158th fewest of 265 in Washington
Freezing nights70 a year
Fewer freezing nights than 73% of U.S. towns178th fewest of 265 in Washington
Growing season187 frost-free days
A longer frost-free season than 52% of U.S. towns196th longest of 265 in Washington
Month by month

Maple Valley weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Maple Valley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Palmer 3 Ese, WA. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January46°35°6.9"6.1"21436° – 45°
February49°34°4.8"4.0"18234° – 47°
March53°36°5.3"2.0"22240° – 49°
April58°40°4.6"0.4"20044° – 55°
May65°45°3.4"0.0"17050° – 59°
June69°50°2.7"0.0"15056° – 65°
July76°53°1.1"0.0"9060° – 68°
August77°53°1.3"0.0"8061° – 69°
September70°49°2.4"0.0"11057° – 64°
October60°43°5.0"0.0"17048° – 56°
November51°38°7.5"0.9"21239° – 49°
December45°34°6.5"4.1"21335° – 42°
Year60°43°51.5"17.5"20013
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 47°. December is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Maple Valley’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 Valley’s center.
  • Snow: Palmer 3 Ese, WA.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Landsburg, WA, 3 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 Valley’s climate

What is the weather like in Maple Valley?

A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Maple Valley in winter?

December nights average 34°. About 70 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.

How much snow does Maple Valley get?

About 18 inches in a normal winter at Palmer 3 Ese, WA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 13 days a year.

How hot does it get in Maple Valley?

July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 53°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Landsburg, WA).

When is the first and last frost in Maple Valley?

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 Valley in?

Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 18°.

What is the best time of year to visit Maple Valley?

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 Valley 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 Valley.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.