U.S. Post Office-Pullman · Photo: Joe Mabel · CC BY-SA 3.0Precipitation in Pullman trails that of 89% of U.S. towns: 20 inches a year
Expect July afternoons of about 84°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 58° apart. Its January nights stay gentler than in 67% of U.S. towns. From May to July and September, highs of 66–84° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Pullman at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pullman’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pullman’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Pullman feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 143 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by September 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pullman 2 Nw, WA, 2.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pullman’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 33 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pullman 2 Nw, WA, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 20 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 115 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Pullman
95% 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 Pullman 2 Nw, WA.
Living with Pullman’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
143 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 6 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July and September. 15 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pullman from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 40%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pullman and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Pullman yet.
Climates most like Pullman’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pullman, WA | 27° | 84° | 20" | 33" |
| Polson, MT | 20° | 83° | 19" | 34" |
| Ruidoso, NM | 22° | 82° | 20" | 26" |
| Deschutes River Woods, OR | 24° | 84° | 13" | 22" |
| Big Bear City, CA | 27° | 81° | 18" | 59" |
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 Pullman averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.1°).
A bigger shift than in 69% 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 Pullman compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pullman’s place among Washington’s.
Pullman weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pullman’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pullman 2 Nw, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 27° | 2.4" | 9.6" | 14 | 22° – 39° |
| February | 42° | 28° | 1.8" | 4.8" | 12 | 25° – 42° |
| March | 50° | 32° | 2.2" | 2.5" | 12 | 33° – 46° |
| April | 57° | 36° | 1.9" | 0.7" | 11 | 42° – 53° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 1.9" | 0.1" | 10 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 72° | 47° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 56° – 67° |
| July | 84° | 51° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 60° – 72° |
| August | 84° | 50° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 75° | 44° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 56° – 65° |
| October | 60° | 36° | 1.7" | 0.1" | 9 | 43° – 55° |
| November | 45° | 31° | 2.5" | 4.6" | 14 | 30° – 45° |
| December | 37° | 26° | 2.5" | 10.3" | 14 | 26° – 36° |
| Year | 59° | 38° | 19.9" | 32.7" | 115 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 42°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Pullman’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 Pullman’s center.
- Snow: Pullman 2 Nw, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pullman 2 Nw, WA, 2.1 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 Pullman’s climate
What is the weather like in Pullman?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pullman in winter?
December nights average 26°. About 127 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 26°.
How much snow does Pullman get?
About 33 inches in a normal winter at Pullman 2 Nw, WA, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Pullman?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 51°. About 22 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Pullman 2 Nw, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Pullman?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by September 29, about 143 frost-free days, at Pullman 2 Nw, WA.
What growing zone is Pullman in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pullman?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Pullman getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pullman.
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.