Photo: ECTran71 · CC BY-SA 4.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Moses Lake: 8 inches a year
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 24° on average. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 74% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.2° rise. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to March, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Moses Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Moses Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Moses Lake’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Moses Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 165 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Moses Lake Grant Co Airport, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Moses Lake’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 8 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Moses Lake
90% 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 Moses Lake Grant Co Airport.
Living with Moses Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
165 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 14 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Moses Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 28%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Moses Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Moses Lake yet.
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 Moses Lake averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°).
A smaller shift than in 62% 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 Moses Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Moses Lake’s place among Washington’s.
Moses Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Moses Lake’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 24° | 1.0" | 21° – 37° |
| February | 44° | 27° | 0.7" | 25° – 42° |
| March | 55° | 32° | 0.7" | 36° – 49° |
| April | 64° | 37° | 0.7" | 45° – 57° |
| May | 74° | 45° | 0.7" | 54° – 65° |
| June | 80° | 52° | 0.6" | 62° – 74° |
| July | 89° | 57° | 0.3" | 65° – 77° |
| August | 88° | 56° | 0.2" | 66° – 75° |
| September | 79° | 48° | 0.3" | 60° – 66° |
| October | 63° | 37° | 0.7" | 46° – 57° |
| November | 47° | 29° | 0.9" | 32° – 46° |
| December | 36° | 24° | 1.2" | 23° – 36° |
| Year | 63° | 39° | 7.8" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 42°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Moses 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 Moses Lake’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Moses Lake Grant Co Airport, 6 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 Moses Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Moses Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 24°. Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Moses Lake in winter?
December nights average 24°. About 129 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 23°.
How hot does it get in Moses Lake?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 57°. About 43 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Moses Lake Grant Co Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Moses Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 8, about 165 frost-free days, at Moses Lake Grant Co Airport.
What growing zone is Moses Lake in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Moses Lake?
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 Moses Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Moses 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.