Photo: Konrad Roeder · CC BY-SA 3.0Skykomish sits near the top of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 90 inches a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 76°. Winter and summer sit 47° apart. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 98% of U.S. towns. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Skykomish at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Skykomish’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Skykomish’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Skykomish feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 197 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 14 and the first by October 29. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Baring, WA, 7 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Skykomish’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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 44 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Baring, WA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 90 inches a year; November is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 184 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Skykomish
97% 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 Baring, WA.
Living with Skykomish’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
197 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 14 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 29.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Skykomish from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (68%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Skykomish and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Skykomish yet.
Climates most like Skykomish’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skykomish, WA | 29° | 76° | 90" | 44" |
| Tillamook, OR | 38° | 71° | 87" | 0.2" |
| Brevard, NC | 27° | 83° | 69" | 7.1" |
| Juneau, AK | 27° | 63° | 90" | 88" |
| Crossville, TN | 27° | 84° | 59" | 14" |
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 Skykomish averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°).
A smaller shift than in 69% 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 Skykomish compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Skykomish’s place among Washington’s.
Skykomish weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Skykomish’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Baring, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 29° | 13.7" | 13.8" | 20 | 16 | 28° – 39° |
| February | 44° | 29° | 9.1" | 4.6" | 17 | 9 | 29° – 43° |
| March | 50° | 33° | 9.5" | 3.8" | 20 | 3 | 36° – 48° |
| April | 56° | 37° | 6.6" | 0.8" | 18 | 0 | 40° – 52° |
| May | 64° | 43° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| June | 69° | 48° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| July | 76° | 51° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| August | 76° | 51° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| September | 70° | 46° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| October | 57° | 39° | 9.7" | 0.1" | 17 | 0 | 44° – 53° |
| November | 46° | 34° | 14.5" | 4.2" | 20 | 3 | 34° – 44° |
| December | 39° | 30° | 12.9" | 17.0" | 20 | 12 | 30° – 38° |
| Year | 57° | 39° | 90.2" | 44.3" | 184 | 43 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 43°. December is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Skykomish’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 Skykomish’s center.
- Snow: Baring, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Baring, WA, 7 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 Skykomish’s climate
What is the weather like in Skykomish?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Skykomish in winter?
February nights average 29°. About 69 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Skykomish get?
About 44 inches in a normal winter at Baring, WA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 43 days a year.
How hot does it get in Skykomish?
July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 51°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Baring, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Skykomish?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 14 and the first fall frost by October 29, about 197 frost-free days, at Baring, WA.
What growing zone is Skykomish in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Skykomish?
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 Skykomish getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Skykomish.
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.