Photo: Wicker529 · CC BY-SA 4.0Rainier has some of the coolest summers among U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 34° on average. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 44°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 79% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from November to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Rainier at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rainier’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rainier’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Rainier feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 169 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Olympia Airport, 12 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rainier’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 Olympia Airport, falls mostly in January. 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 163 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rainier
98% 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 Olympia Airport.
Living with Rainier’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
169 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 29 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 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rainier from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rainier and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rainier yet.
Climates most like Rainier’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainier, WA | 34° | 77° | 44" | 3.9" |
| Cottage Grove, OR | 35° | 82° | 47" | 2.7" |
| Ben Lomond, CA | 40° | 79° | 43" | 0.0" |
| Chatham, MA | 25° | 77° | 44" | 25" |
| Brigantine, NJ | 28° | 83° | 45" | 10" |
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 Rainier averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 89% 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 Rainier compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rainier’s place among Washington’s.
Rainier weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rainier’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Olympia Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 34° | 6.0" | 2.0" | 20 | 1 | 35° – 45° |
| February | 49° | 34° | 4.0" | 0.6" | 16 | 0 | 34° – 47° |
| March | 54° | 36° | 4.7" | 0.1" | 19 | 0 | 41° – 49° |
| April | 59° | 39° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| May | 66° | 44° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| June | 71° | 49° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| July | 77° | 52° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| August | 78° | 53° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 62° – 67° |
| September | 72° | 49° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 63° |
| October | 60° | 43° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| November | 51° | 37° | 6.5" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 | 39° – 48° |
| December | 45° | 34° | 6.5" | 1.2" | 20 | 0 | 35° – 42° |
| Year | 61° | 42° | 43.8" | 3.9" | 163 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 47°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Rainier’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 Rainier’s center.
- Snow: Olympia Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Olympia Airport, 12 miles from the town’s center, 270 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 Rainier’s climate
What is the weather like in Rainier?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 34°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rainier in winter?
February nights average 34°. About 77 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Rainier get?
About 3.9 inches in a normal winter at Olympia Airport, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rainier?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 52°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Olympia Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Rainier?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 14, about 169 frost-free days, at Olympia Airport.
What growing zone is Rainier in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rainier?
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 Rainier getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 89% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rainier.
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.