Hardly any U.S. towns see fresher July days than Northwest Stanwood
Deep winter brings January lows near 36°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 82% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.2° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly March 24 to November 3.
A year in Northwest Stanwood at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Northwest Stanwood’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Northwest Stanwood’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Northwest Stanwood feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 224 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 24 and the first by November 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mt Vernon 3 Wnw, WA, 12 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Northwest Stanwood’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 6 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Sedro-woolley, WA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; November is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 186 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Northwest Stanwood
99% 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 Mt Vernon 3 Wnw, WA.
Living with Northwest Stanwood’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
224 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 24 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Northwest Stanwood from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (71%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Northwest Stanwood and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Northwest Stanwood yet.
Climates most like Northwest Stanwood’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwest Stanwood, WA | 36° | 74° | 44" | 5.7" |
| West Haven-Sylvan, OR | 36° | 80° | 44" | 3.6" |
| Fairfax, CA | 41° | 76° | 38" | 0.0" |
| Nantucket, MA | 26° | 76° | 44" | 25" |
| Springs, NY | 24° | 80° | 44" | 27" |
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 Northwest Stanwood averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
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 Northwest Stanwood compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Northwest Stanwood’s place among Washington’s.
Northwest Stanwood weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Northwest Stanwood’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sedro-woolley, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 36° | 5.4" | 0.6" | 20 | 2 | 34° – 46° |
| February | 50° | 35° | 3.9" | 0.2" | 17 | 0 | 36° – 48° |
| March | 54° | 38° | 4.3" | 0.4" | 20 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 41° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 46° – 54° |
| May | 65° | 46° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 52° – 59° |
| June | 69° | 50° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| July | 74° | 53° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 67° |
| August | 75° | 53° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 66° |
| September | 70° | 50° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 63° |
| October | 59° | 44° | 4.5" | 0.1" | 18 | 0 | 49° – 56° |
| November | 51° | 39° | 6.3" | 0.7" | 21 | 1 | 41° – 50° |
| December | 45° | 35° | 5.5" | 3.7" | 21 | 1 | 36° – 43° |
| Year | 60° | 43° | 43.7" | 5.7" | 186 | 4 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 46°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Northwest Stanwood’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 Northwest Stanwood’s center.
- Snow: Sedro-woolley, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mt Vernon 3 Wnw, WA, 12 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Northwest Stanwood’s climate
What is the weather like in Northwest Stanwood?
A typical July afternoon reaches 74°, a January night drops to 36°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 167 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Northwest Stanwood in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 46 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Northwest Stanwood get?
About 5.7 inches in a normal winter at Sedro-woolley, WA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 4 days a year.
How hot does it get in Northwest Stanwood?
July, with a typical high of 74°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Mt Vernon 3 Wnw, WA.
When is the first and last frost in Northwest Stanwood?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 24 and the first fall frost by November 3, about 224 frost-free days, at Mt Vernon 3 Wnw, WA.
What growing zone is Northwest Stanwood in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Northwest Stanwood?
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 Northwest Stanwood 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 Northwest Stanwood.
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.