Skamokawa Historic District · Photo: Adumbvoget · Public domainSkamokawa Valley sits near the top of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 78 inches a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 73°. Temperatures cover 40° across the year, low to high. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than almost every U.S. town. Tender plants can go out after about April 27; in half of years the first frost comes by October 22.
A year in Skamokawa Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Skamokawa Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Skamokawa Valley’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Skamokawa Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 178 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Grays Rvr Hatchery, WA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Skamokawa Valley’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 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cathlamet 6ne, WA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 78 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 175 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Skamokawa Valley
98% 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 Grays Rvr Hatchery, WA.
Living with Skamokawa Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
178 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 38 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Skamokawa Valley from natural hazards, tsunamis are the largest share (34%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Skamokawa Valley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Skamokawa Valley yet.
Climates most like Skamokawa Valley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skamokawa Valley, WA | 35° | 73° | 78" | 3.2" |
| Brookings, OR | 42° | 69° | 73" | 0.0" |
| Fortuna, CA | 42° | 70° | 55" | 0.7" |
| Brevard, NC | 27° | 83° | 69" | 7.1" |
| Signal Mountain, TN | 29° | 85° | 62" | 4.3" |
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 Skamokawa Valley averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 56% 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 Skamokawa Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Skamokawa Valley’s place among Washington’s.
Skamokawa Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Skamokawa Valley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cathlamet 6ne, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48° | 35° | 11.7" | 1.1" | 20 | 1 | 36° – 46° |
| February | 51° | 34° | 7.9" | 0.2" | 16 | 0 | 36° – 48° |
| March | 54° | 36° | 8.8" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 38° | 6.2" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 44° – 53° |
| May | 64° | 43° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 50° – 57° |
| June | 68° | 47° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 55° – 62° |
| July | 73° | 51° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| August | 74° | 51° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 65° |
| September | 71° | 47° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 62° |
| October | 61° | 42° | 7.4" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| November | 52° | 37° | 11.8" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 | 40° – 50° |
| December | 47° | 34° | 12.3" | 1.9" | 21 | 0 | 36° – 44° |
| Year | 60° | 41° | 77.8" | 3.2" | 175 | 1 |
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°. August is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Skamokawa Valley’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 Skamokawa Valley’s center.
- Snow: Cathlamet 6ne, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Grays Rvr Hatchery, WA, 9 miles from the town’s center, 180 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 Skamokawa Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Skamokawa Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 139 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Skamokawa Valley in winter?
February nights average 34°. About 78 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Skamokawa Valley get?
About 3.2 inches in a normal winter at Cathlamet 6ne, WA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Skamokawa Valley?
July, with a typical high of 73° and a low of 51°. About 6 days a year reach 90° (Grays Rvr Hatchery, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Skamokawa Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 178 frost-free days, at Grays Rvr Hatchery, WA.
What growing zone is Skamokawa Valley 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 Skamokawa Valley?
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 Skamokawa Valley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Skamokawa Valley.
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.