Less rain and snow falls on Valley than on 90% of U.S. towns: 19 inches a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 21°. Winter and summer sit 66° apart. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 63% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Valley’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 120 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by September 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Chewelah, WA, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Valley’s center in zone 6a: 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 19 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Valley
96% 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 Chewelah, WA.
Living with Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
120 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 16 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Valley from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Valley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Valley yet.
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 Valley averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 63% 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 Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Valley’s place among Washington’s.
Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Valley’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 21° | 2.1" | 18° – 33° |
| February | 41° | 22° | 1.4" | 21° – 39° |
| March | 52° | 28° | 1.8" | 34° – 46° |
| April | 61° | 33° | 1.6" | 42° – 55° |
| May | 71° | 41° | 1.8" | 50° – 63° |
| June | 77° | 46° | 1.9" | 58° – 69° |
| July | 87° | 51° | 0.8" | 60° – 75° |
| August | 87° | 49° | 0.5" | 62° – 71° |
| September | 77° | 42° | 0.7" | 55° – 64° |
| October | 60° | 32° | 1.5" | 41° – 52° |
| November | 43° | 27° | 2.3" | 29° – 42° |
| December | 33° | 21° | 2.6" | 21° – 32° |
| Year | 60° | 34° | 18.8" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 39°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where 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 Valley’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Chewelah, WA, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 21°. Colder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Valley in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 170 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How hot does it get in Valley?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 51°. About 34 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Chewelah, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 15, about 120 frost-free days, at Chewelah, WA.
What growing zone is Valley in?
Zone 6a 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 Valley?
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 Valley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 63% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in 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.