Sudden Valley sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
Deep winter brings January lows near 34°. November is the wettest month, July the driest. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 91% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from November to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Sudden Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sudden Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sudden Valley’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Sudden Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 216 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 1 and the first by November 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bellingham 3 Ssw, WA, 8 miles from the town’s center, 390 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sudden Valley’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 14°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bellingham 3 Ssw, WA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 53 inches a year; November is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 166 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sudden 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 Bellingham 3 Ssw, WA.
Living with Sudden Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
216 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 1 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 9.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sudden Valley from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (74%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sudden Valley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sudden Valley yet.
Climates most like Sudden 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sudden Valley, WA | 34° | 73° | 53" | 3.4" |
| Fortuna, CA | 42° | 70° | 55" | 0.7" |
| Sandy, OR | 35° | 80° | 57" | 2.2" |
| Nantucket, MA | 26° | 76° | 44" | 25" |
| Black Mountain, NC | 27° | 82° | 57" | 2.1" |
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 Sudden Valley averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Sudden Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sudden Valley’s place among Washington’s.
Sudden Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sudden Valley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bellingham 3 Ssw, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 34° | 7.1" | 1.1" | 20 | 1 | 33° – 44° |
| February | 48° | 34° | 4.4" | 0.6" | 16 | 0 | 32° – 46° |
| March | 52° | 37° | 5.3" | 0.5" | 18 | 0 | 39° – 48° |
| April | 57° | 40° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 44° – 53° |
| May | 64° | 45° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 58° |
| June | 68° | 49° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| July | 73° | 53° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 66° |
| August | 74° | 53° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 66° |
| September | 69° | 49° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 62° |
| October | 58° | 43° | 5.8" | 0.1" | 16 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| November | 49° | 38° | 8.1" | 0.8" | 20 | 1 | 40° – 49° |
| December | 44° | 34° | 6.7" | 0.3" | 20 | 1 | 34° – 42° |
| Year | 58° | 42° | 53.2" | 3.4" | 166 | 3 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 32° to 46°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Sudden 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 Sudden Valley’s center.
- Snow: Bellingham 3 Ssw, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bellingham 3 Ssw, WA, 8 miles from the town’s center, 390 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 Sudden Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Sudden Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 73°, a January night drops to 34°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 141 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sudden Valley in winter?
December nights average 34°. About 43 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Sudden Valley get?
About 3.4 inches in a normal winter at Bellingham 3 Ssw, WA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Sudden Valley?
July, with a typical high of 73°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Bellingham 3 Ssw, WA.
When is the first and last frost in Sudden Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 1 and the first fall frost by November 2, about 216 frost-free days, at Bellingham 3 Ssw, WA.
What growing zone is Sudden Valley in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sudden 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 Sudden Valley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sudden 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.