Photo: Corbin Harder · CC BY-SA 4.0Richland’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Richland at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Richland’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Richland’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Richland feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 200 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 6 and the first by October 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Richland, WA, 2.2 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Richland’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ice Harbor Dam, WA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 8 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 97 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Richland
86% 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 Richland, WA.
Living with Richland’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
200 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 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 Oct 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 86 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Richland from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Richland and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Richland in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Richland’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Richland, WA | 28° | 90° | 8" | 2.0" |
| Sparks, NV | 25° | 92° | 8" | 6.8" |
| Alpine, TX | 30° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
| Alamogordo, NM | 27° | 93° | 11" | 2.4" |
| Sierra Vista, AZ | 32° | 91° | 14" | 0.4" |
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 Richland averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°).
A smaller shift than in 81% 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 Richland compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Richland’s place among Washington’s.
Richland weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Richland’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ice Harbor Dam, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 28° | 1.1" | 0.2" | 14 | 0 | 22° – 41° |
| February | 48° | 30° | 0.7" | 0.2" | 10 | 1 | 25° – 44° |
| March | 58° | 34° | 0.6" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 51° |
| April | 66° | 40° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| May | 75° | 48° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| June | 81° | 54° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| July | 90° | 59° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 68° – 79° |
| August | 89° | 58° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| September | 80° | 50° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| October | 65° | 41° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| November | 50° | 33° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 35° – 47° |
| December | 40° | 28° | 1.1" | 1.4" | 13 | 1 | 27° – 39° |
| Year | 65° | 42° | 7.5" | 2.0" | 97 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 41°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Richland’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 Richland’s center.
- Snow: Ice Harbor Dam, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Richland, WA, 2.2 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Richland’s climate
What is the weather like in Richland?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Richland in winter?
December nights average 28°. About 91 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Richland get?
About 2.0 inches in a normal winter at Ice Harbor Dam, WA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Richland?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 59°. About 39 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Richland, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Richland?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 6 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 200 frost-free days, at Richland, WA.
What growing zone is Richland in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Richland?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Richland getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Richland.
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.