Photo: Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 3.0Shelton sits near the top of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 62 inches a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 77°. Rain follows the seasons: November brings about 16 times as much as July. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from November to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Shelton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Shelton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Shelton’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Shelton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Shelton Sanderson Fld, WA, 1.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Shelton’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. 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 Cushman Powerhouse #2, WA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 62 inches a year; November is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 164 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Shelton
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 Shelton Sanderson Fld, WA.
Living with Shelton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
175 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 7.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Shelton from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (80%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Shelton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Shelton yet.
Climates most like Shelton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelton, WA | 34° | 77° | 62" | 4.4" |
| Sweet Home, OR | 35° | 82° | 55" | 0.1" |
| East Flat Rock, NC | 29° | 83° | 64" | 6.7" |
| Fairfield Glade, TN | 27° | 84° | 57" | 4.9" |
| Fortuna, CA | 42° | 70° | 55" | 0.7" |
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 Shelton averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 86% 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 Shelton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Shelton’s place among Washington’s.
Shelton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Shelton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cushman Powerhouse #2, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 34° | 10.0" | 1.3" | 20 | 1 | 35° – 44° |
| February | 49° | 34° | 6.2" | 1.2" | 16 | 0 | 35° – 47° |
| March | 54° | 36° | 6.9" | 0.1" | 19 | 0 | 41° – 49° |
| April | 59° | 39° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| May | 67° | 44° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| June | 71° | 49° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| July | 77° | 52° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| August | 78° | 53° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 62° – 68° |
| September | 72° | 48° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| October | 60° | 42° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| November | 51° | 37° | 10.3" | 0.1" | 20 | 0 | 40° – 48° |
| December | 45° | 33° | 10.1" | 1.7" | 20 | 1 | 34° – 42° |
| Year | 61° | 42° | 61.9" | 4.4" | 164 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 47°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Shelton’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 Shelton’s center.
- Snow: Cushman Powerhouse #2, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Shelton Sanderson Fld, WA, 1.6 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 Shelton’s climate
What is the weather like in Shelton?
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 78% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Shelton in winter?
December nights average 33°. About 79 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Shelton get?
About 4.4 inches in a normal winter at Cushman Powerhouse #2, WA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Shelton?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 52°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Shelton Sanderson Fld, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Shelton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 16, about 175 frost-free days, at Shelton Sanderson Fld, WA.
What growing zone is Shelton in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Shelton?
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 Shelton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Shelton.
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.