Photo: SpokaneWilly · CC BY-SA 4.0Precipitation in Mead trails that of 90% of U.S. towns: 19 inches a year
In January the night’s low is typically 25°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 61% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Tender plants can go out after about April 26; in half of years the first frost comes by October 15.
A year in Mead at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mead’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mead’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Mead feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 170 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Spokane Felts Fld, WA, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mead’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Spokane International Airport, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 113 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Mead
92% 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 Spokane Felts Fld, WA.
Living with Mead’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
170 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 0.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mead from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 34%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mead and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mead yet.
Climates most like Mead’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mead, WA | 25° | 86° | 19" | 45" |
| Klamath Falls, OR | 22° | 86° | 14" | 52" |
| Applewood, CO | 20° | 87° | 18" | 58" |
| Los Alamos, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 42" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
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 Mead averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°).
A smaller shift than in 57% 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 Mead compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mead’s place among Washington’s.
Mead weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mead’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Spokane International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 25° | 2.2" | 12.3" | 14 | 16 | 23° – 36° |
| February | 41° | 26° | 1.5" | 7.8" | 11 | 10 | 23° – 40° |
| March | 51° | 30° | 1.9" | 3.9" | 12 | 4 | 35° – 47° |
| April | 59° | 35° | 1.5" | 0.7" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 55° |
| May | 69° | 43° | 1.7" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 75° | 48° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 71° |
| July | 86° | 54° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 75° |
| August | 85° | 53° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 75° | 45° | 0.7" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| October | 59° | 36° | 1.5" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| November | 44° | 29° | 2.2" | 6.2" | 13 | 4 | 29° – 44° |
| December | 35° | 24° | 2.6" | 13.8" | 14 | 13 | 24° – 34° |
| Year | 60° | 37° | 18.5" | 45.4" | 113 | 48 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 40°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Mead’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 Mead’s center.
- Snow: Spokane International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Spokane Felts Fld, WA, 7 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 Mead’s climate
What is the weather like in Mead?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 61% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mead in winter?
December nights average 24°. About 123 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Mead get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter at Spokane International Airport, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 48 days a year.
How hot does it get in Mead?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 54°. About 29 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Spokane Felts Fld, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Mead?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 170 frost-free days, at Spokane Felts Fld, WA.
What growing zone is Mead in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Mead?
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 Mead getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mead.
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.