Hallett House · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 4.0Dry weather: only 16 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Medical Lake, less than in 92% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 24°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 61°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 60% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Medical Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Medical Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Medical Lake’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Medical Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 168 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Spokane International Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Medical Lake’s center in zone 6b: 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 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Spokane International Airport, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July 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 Medical Lake
93% 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 Spokane International Airport.
Living with Medical Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
168 frost-free days in zone 6b. 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 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 3.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Medical Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 25%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Medical Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Medical Lake yet.
Climates most like Medical Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medical Lake, WA | 24° | 84° | 16" | 45" |
| Klamath Falls, OR | 22° | 86° | 14" | 52" |
| Los Alamos, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 42" |
| Polson, MT | 20° | 83° | 19" | 34" |
| Castle Pines, CO | 19° | 86° | 17" | 58" |
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 Medical Lake averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 Medical Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Medical Lake’s place among Washington’s.
Medical Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Medical Lake’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 | 34° | 24° | 2.0" | 12.3" | 14 | 16 | 20° – 36° |
| February | 40° | 25° | 1.4" | 7.8" | 11 | 10 | 21° – 40° |
| March | 49° | 29° | 1.6" | 3.9" | 12 | 4 | 33° – 45° |
| April | 57° | 34° | 1.3" | 0.7" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 53° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 1.5" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 73° | 47° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| July | 84° | 53° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| August | 83° | 52° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 74° | 44° | 0.6" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| October | 58° | 35° | 1.4" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| November | 42° | 28° | 2.0" | 6.2" | 13 | 4 | 27° – 43° |
| December | 34° | 23° | 2.2" | 13.8" | 14 | 13 | 22° – 34° |
| Year | 58° | 36° | 16.2" | 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 21° to 40°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Medical Lake’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 Medical Lake’s center.
- Snow: Spokane International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Spokane International Airport, 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 Medical Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Medical Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Medical Lake in winter?
December nights average 23°. About 132 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Medical Lake 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 Medical Lake?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 53°. About 21 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Spokane International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Medical Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 168 frost-free days, at Spokane International Airport.
What growing zone is Medical Lake in?
Zone 6b 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 Medical Lake?
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 Medical Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Medical Lake.
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.