Photo: publichall · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns get less rain and snow than Odessa: 11 inches a year
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 23°. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 64% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.7°, most of all in January. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Odessa at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Odessa’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Odessa’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Odessa feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 135 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Odessa, WA, 0.3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Odessa’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 14 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Odessa, WA, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 11 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 73 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Odessa
94% 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 Odessa, WA.
Living with Odessa’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
135 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 14 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Odessa from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Odessa and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Odessa yet.
Climates most like Odessa’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Odessa, WA | 23° | 87° | 11" | 14" |
| Cold Springs, NV | 23° | 88° | 13" | 17" |
| Madras, OR | 26° | 87° | 11" | 14" |
| Burley, ID | 21° | 89° | 10" | 21" |
| Silver City, NM | 26° | 87° | 16" | 13" |
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 Odessa averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°).
A smaller shift than in 92% 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 Odessa compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Odessa’s place among Washington’s.
Odessa weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Odessa’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Odessa, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 23° | 1.4" | 4.9" | 9 | 19° – 36° |
| February | 42° | 25° | 1.0" | 1.5" | 7 | 21° – 40° |
| March | 52° | 30° | 1.1" | 0.8" | 8 | 32° – 48° |
| April | 61° | 34° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 42° – 53° |
| May | 71° | 41° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 78° | 47° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 58° – 70° |
| July | 87° | 53° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 63° – 75° |
| August | 87° | 52° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 77° | 44° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 57° – 65° |
| October | 61° | 35° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 43° – 53° |
| November | 45° | 28° | 1.4" | 2.0" | 9 | 29° – 44° |
| December | 35° | 23° | 1.6" | 4.7" | 9 | 21° – 34° |
| Year | 61° | 36° | 10.9" | 13.9" | 73 |
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 8°.
Where Odessa’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 Odessa’s center.
- Snow: Odessa, WA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Odessa, WA, 0.3 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 Odessa’s climate
What is the weather like in Odessa?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Odessa in winter?
December nights average 23°. About 139 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Odessa get?
About 14 inches in a normal winter at Odessa, WA, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Odessa?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 53°. About 34 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Odessa, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Odessa?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 135 frost-free days, at Odessa, WA.
What growing zone is Odessa 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 Odessa?
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 Odessa getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Odessa.
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.