Dry weather: only 17 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Tieton, less than in 92% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 24°. Winter and summer sit 62° apart. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 61% of U.S. towns. Comfortable outdoor weather, highs of 69–76°, belongs to May, June and September.
A year in Tieton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Tieton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tieton’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Tieton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 146 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ellensburg, WA, 21 miles from the town’s center, 450 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Tieton’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 20 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Yakima Air Terminal, WA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 72 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Tieton
94% 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 Ellensburg, WA.
Living with Tieton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
146 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 8 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Tieton from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (39%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Tieton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Tieton yet.
Climates most like Tieton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tieton, WA | 24° | 85° | 17" | 20" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
| Deschutes River Woods, OR | 24° | 84° | 13" | 22" |
| Silver City, NM | 26° | 87° | 16" | 13" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
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 Tieton averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.0°).
A bigger shift than in 51% 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 Tieton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tieton’s place among Washington’s.
Tieton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Tieton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Yakima Air Terminal, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 24° | 2.8" | 6.2" | 10 | 11 | 23° – 36° |
| February | 44° | 25° | 2.1" | 2.7" | 7 | 4 | 23° – 41° |
| March | 52° | 30° | 1.7" | 0.6" | 7 | 0 | 34° – 47° |
| April | 60° | 35° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 41° – 55° |
| May | 69° | 42° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 50° – 62° |
| June | 76° | 48° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 71° |
| July | 85° | 53° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| August | 85° | 52° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 76° | 44° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| October | 61° | 35° | 1.3" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 42° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 28° | 2.3" | 3.0" | 8 | 2 | 31° – 43° |
| December | 36° | 23° | 3.1" | 7.7" | 10 | 9 | 24° – 35° |
| Year | 60° | 37° | 16.8" | 20.3" | 72 | 26 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 41°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Tieton’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 Tieton’s center.
- Snow: Yakima Air Terminal, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ellensburg, WA, 21 miles from the town’s center, 450 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 Tieton’s climate
What is the weather like in Tieton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 61% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Tieton in winter?
December nights average 23°. About 155 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Tieton get?
About 20 inches in a normal winter at Yakima Air Terminal, WA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 26 days a year.
How hot does it get in Tieton?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 53°. About 24 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Ellensburg, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Tieton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 8 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 146 frost-free days, at Ellensburg, WA.
What growing zone is Tieton in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Tieton?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Tieton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Tieton.
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.