Photo: Turtleey · CC BY-SA 4.0Hardly any U.S. towns see fresher July days than Ruston
Deep winter brings January lows near 36°. Temperatures cover 42° across the year, low to high. Its January nights stay gentler than in 83% of U.S. towns. Garden chairs stay out from May to September, the months with highs of 66–77°.
A year in Ruston at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ruston’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ruston’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Ruston feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 254 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 11 and the first by November 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Tacoma Narrows Airport, 4 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ruston’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 21°. 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 43 inches of rain a year
November is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 161 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.3" in a normal year at Wauna 3 W, WA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Ruston
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 Tacoma Narrows Airport.
Living with Ruston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
254 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 11 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ruston from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (79%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ruston and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ruston yet.
Climates most like Ruston’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruston, WA | 36° | 77° | 43" | 0.3" |
| Ben Lomond, CA | 40° | 79° | 43" | 0.0" |
| Silverton, OR | 36° | 81° | 46" | 1.1" |
| Swannanoa, NC | 27° | 83° | 48" | 2.1" |
| 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 Ruston averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 Ruston compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ruston’s place among Washington’s.
Ruston weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ruston’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wauna 3 W, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 36° | 6.5" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 | 37° – 46° |
| February | 50° | 36° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 36° – 48° |
| March | 54° | 38° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 | 42° – 50° |
| April | 59° | 41° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| May | 66° | 47° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| June | 70° | 51° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| July | 77° | 55° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| August | 77° | 55° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| September | 71° | 51° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 64° |
| October | 60° | 45° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| November | 51° | 39° | 6.8" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| December | 46° | 35° | 6.5" | 0.3" | 19 | 0 | 37° – 44° |
| Year | 61° | 44° | 43.0" | 0.3" | 161 | 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°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Ruston’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 Ruston’s center.
- Snow: Wauna 3 W, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Tacoma Narrows Airport, 4 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft higher; 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 Ruston’s climate
What is the weather like in Ruston?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ruston in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 21 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Ruston get?
About 0.3 inches in a normal winter at Wauna 3 W, WA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Ruston?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 55°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Tacoma Narrows Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Ruston?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 11 and the first fall frost by November 21, about 254 frost-free days, at Tacoma Narrows Airport.
What growing zone is Ruston in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ruston?
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 Ruston getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ruston.
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.