Photo: Steven Pavlov · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Starbuck: 12 inches a year
July afternoons average 91°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 82% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.3° rise. Tender plants can go out after about May 13; in half of years the first frost comes by September 26.
A year in Starbuck at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Starbuck’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Starbuck’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Starbuck feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 133 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lacrosse, WA, 23 miles from the town’s center, 490 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Starbuck’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 16 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Dayton 1 Wsw, WA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 117 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Starbuck
92% 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 Lacrosse, WA.
Living with Starbuck’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
133 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by May 13 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Starbuck from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (83%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Starbuck and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Starbuck yet.
Climates most like Starbuck’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starbuck, WA | 29° | 91° | 12" | 16" |
| Williamson, AZ | 26° | 91° | 13" | 10" |
| Kuna, ID | 24° | 92° | 11" | 18" |
| Carson City, NV | 23° | 90° | 11" | 14" |
| Clovis, NM | 24° | 91° | 17" | 13" |
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 Starbuck averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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 Starbuck compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Starbuck’s place among Washington’s.
Starbuck weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Starbuck’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Dayton 1 Wsw, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 29° | 1.3" | 6.3" | 14 | 24° – 42° |
| February | 47° | 31° | 1.0" | 1.9" | 12 | 28° – 45° |
| March | 57° | 35° | 1.3" | 1.0" | 13 | 38° – 51° |
| April | 64° | 40° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 12 | 47° – 58° |
| May | 73° | 47° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 55° – 65° |
| June | 81° | 53° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 63° – 75° |
| July | 91° | 59° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 68° – 80° |
| August | 90° | 58° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 69° – 78° |
| September | 80° | 50° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 62° – 69° |
| October | 65° | 40° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 10 | 47° – 59° |
| November | 50° | 33° | 1.5" | 1.2" | 14 | 34° – 48° |
| December | 40° | 28° | 1.7" | 5.2" | 14 | 28° – 39° |
| Year | 65° | 42° | 11.7" | 15.8" | 117 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 42°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Starbuck’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 Starbuck’s center.
- Snow: Dayton 1 Wsw, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lacrosse, WA, 23 miles from the town’s center, 490 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 Starbuck’s climate
What is the weather like in Starbuck?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Starbuck in winter?
December nights average 28°. About 135 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does Starbuck get?
About 16 inches in a normal winter at Dayton 1 Wsw, WA, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Starbuck?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 59°. About 43 days a year reach 90° and 8 reach 100° (Lacrosse, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Starbuck?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 133 frost-free days, at Lacrosse, WA.
What growing zone is Starbuck 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 Starbuck?
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 Starbuck getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Starbuck.
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.