Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns have cooler summers than Port Townsend
In January the night’s low is typically 35°. Temperatures cover 36° across the year, low to high. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 88% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 62–72°.
A year in Port Townsend at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Port Townsend’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Port Townsend’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Port Townsend feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 274 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 1 and the first by November 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Port Townsend, WA, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Port Townsend’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 20°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Coupeville 1 S, WA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 24 inches a year; November is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 131 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Port Townsend
99% 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 Port Townsend, WA.
Living with Port Townsend’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
274 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 1 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 35 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Port Townsend from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Port Townsend and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Port Townsend yet.
Climates most like Port Townsend’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Port Townsend, WA | 35° | 71° | 24" | 2.5" |
| Soquel, CA | 42° | 71° | 27" | 0.0" |
| Makawao, HI | 53° | 75° | 23" | 0.0" |
| Hillsboro, OR | 35° | 81° | 38" | 5.2" |
| Nantucket, MA | 26° | 76° | 44" | 25" |
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 Port Townsend averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 64% 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 Port Townsend compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Port Townsend’s place among Washington’s.
Port Townsend weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Port Townsend’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Coupeville 1 S, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 35° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 35° – 45° |
| February | 49° | 35° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 36° – 48° |
| March | 52° | 37° | 2.3" | 0.3" | 14 | 0 | 41° – 49° |
| April | 57° | 40° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 54° |
| May | 62° | 45° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 57° |
| June | 66° | 49° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 55° – 61° |
| July | 71° | 52° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 58° – 64° |
| August | 72° | 52° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 64° |
| September | 67° | 49° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 62° |
| October | 58° | 43° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 55° |
| November | 50° | 38° | 3.7" | 0.6" | 16 | 0 | 41° – 49° |
| December | 46° | 35° | 3.5" | 1.6" | 16 | 0 | 36° – 43° |
| Year | 58° | 43° | 23.9" | 2.5" | 131 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 48°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Port Townsend’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 Port Townsend’s center.
- Snow: Coupeville 1 S, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Port Townsend, WA, 1.4 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 Port Townsend’s climate
What is the weather like in Port Townsend?
A typical July afternoon reaches 71°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 89 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Port Townsend in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 14 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Port Townsend get?
About 2.5 inches in a normal winter at Coupeville 1 S, WA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Port Townsend?
July, with a typical high of 71°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Port Townsend, WA.
When is the first and last frost in Port Townsend?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 1 and the first fall frost by November 28, about 274 frost-free days, at Port Townsend, WA.
What growing zone is Port Townsend in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Port Townsend?
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 Port Townsend getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Port Townsend.
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.