Photo: Steven Baltakatei Sandoval · CC BY-SA 4.0Orchards’ winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 36°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Orchards at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Orchards’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Orchards’ place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Orchards feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 174 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Battle Ground, WA, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Orchards’ 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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Portland International Airport, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 52 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 157 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Orchards
97% 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 Battle Ground, WA.
Living with Orchards’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
174 frost-free days in zone 8b. 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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 5.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Orchards from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Orchards and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Orchards in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Orchards’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orchards, WA | 36° | 81° | 52" | 4.2" |
| Black Mountain, NC | 27° | 82° | 57" | 2.1" |
| Fairfield Glade, TN | 27° | 84° | 57" | 4.9" |
| Brigantine, NJ | 28° | 83° | 45" | 10" |
| Big Stone Gap, VA | 26° | 84° | 52" | 9.2" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Orchards averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A smaller shift than in 54% 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 Orchards compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Orchards’ place among Washington’s.
Orchards weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Orchards’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Portland International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 36° | 7.0" | 1.7" | 19 | 1 | 34° – 45° |
| February | 51° | 36° | 5.3" | 1.2" | 16 | 1 | 37° – 48° |
| March | 56° | 38° | 5.7" | 0.1" | 18 | 0 | 44° – 51° |
| April | 61° | 41° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| May | 68° | 47° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| June | 73° | 51° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 55° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| August | 81° | 55° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 65° – 71° |
| September | 75° | 51° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 65° |
| October | 63° | 44° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| November | 52° | 39° | 7.6" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| December | 46° | 35° | 7.9" | 1.2" | 19 | 1 | 36° – 43° |
| Year | 63° | 44° | 52.2" | 4.2" | 157 | 3 |
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 45°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Orchards’ 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 Orchards’ center.
- Snow: Portland International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Battle Ground, WA, 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 Orchards’ climate
What is the weather like in Orchards?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 36°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Orchards in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 70 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Orchards get?
About 4.2 inches in a normal winter at Portland International Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Orchards?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 55°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Battle Ground, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Orchards?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 16, about 174 frost-free days, at Battle Ground, WA.
What growing zone is Orchards 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 Orchards?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Orchards getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Orchards.
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.