Buckeye Ranch House · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 3.0Nile has cooler summers than 91% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 23° on average. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 88% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.3°, most of all in January. Garden planting can start around April 28; autumn frost returns near October 7.
A year in Nile at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Nile’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Nile’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Nile feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 163 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 28 and the first by October 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ellensburg Bowers Fld, WA, 24 miles from the town’s center, 280 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Nile’s center in zone 6b: 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 23 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 Nile
91% 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 Ellensburg Bowers Fld, WA.
Living with Nile’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
163 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 28 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Nile from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (43%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Nile and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Nile 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 Nile averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.1°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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 Nile compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Nile’s place among Washington’s.
Nile weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Nile’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 23° | 3.7" | 21° – 34° |
| February | 40° | 23° | 2.6" | 24° – 39° |
| March | 47° | 28° | 2.2" | 33° – 44° |
| April | 54° | 32° | 1.7" | 38° – 50° |
| May | 64° | 39° | 1.0" | 46° – 56° |
| June | 71° | 45° | 0.9" | 54° – 67° |
| July | 80° | 49° | 0.4" | 57° – 69° |
| August | 80° | 49° | 0.3" | 59° – 69° |
| September | 72° | 42° | 0.6" | 53° – 61° |
| October | 57° | 33° | 2.0" | 40° – 50° |
| November | 42° | 28° | 3.2" | 30° – 40° |
| December | 33° | 22° | 4.1" | 23° – 33° |
| Year | 56° | 34° | 22.7" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 39°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Nile’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 Nile’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ellensburg Bowers Fld, WA, 24 miles from the town’s center, 280 ft lower; 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 Nile’s climate
What is the weather like in Nile?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 23°. Milder January nights than 56% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Nile in winter?
December nights average 22°. About 139 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 Nile?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 49°. About 34 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Ellensburg Bowers Fld, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Nile?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 28 and the first fall frost by October 7, about 163 frost-free days, at Ellensburg Bowers Fld, WA.
What growing zone is Nile in?
Zone 6b 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 Nile?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Nile getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Nile.
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.