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Climate in Vantage · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Vantage reaches 100° on about 13 days a year, more than 92% of U.S. towns

Deep winter brings January lows near 26°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of almost every U.S. town. Warming shows here too: 1.0° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.

Drier than all but 112 U.S. towns#3 driest of 266 in WA
Hotter July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns#4Hottest summers  of 266 in WA
All WA rankings →

A year in Vantage at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan39°26°
Feb46°29°
Mar57°34°
Apr66°40° Last frost ~Apr 23
May75°49° 3 days 90°+
Jun82°55° 7 days 90°+
Jul91°61° 21 days 90°+
Aug90°60° 18 days 90°+
Sep80°51° 5 days 90°+
Oct65°40° First frost ~Oct 12
Nov now49°31°
Dec38°26° Wettest

What stands out about Vantage’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Vantage’s place in Washington beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Vantage feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
41° / 27°
Snow is rare
Spring
66° / 41°
Last frost around Apr 23
Summer
87° / 59°
13 days reach 100°
Fall
65° / 41°
First frost around Oct 12
Best months to be outsideAprMayJunSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 172 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 23 and the first by October 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Smyrna, WA, 17 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.

122
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
40th most of 266 in Washington
More freezing nights than 58% of U.S. towns
2
nights at or below 0°
13th most of 266 in Washington
More nights at or below 0° than 52% of U.S. towns
54
days that reach 90°
2nd most of 266 in Washington
More 90° days than 77% of U.S. towns
13
days that reach 100°
The most of 266 in Washington
More 100° days than 92% of U.S. towns
7aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 7a

The 2023 USDA map puts Vantage’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 5°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

26
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

21
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 7 inches of rain a year

December is the wettest month and August the driest.

7"
Rain + melted snow a year
3rd driest of 266 in Washington
Drier than all but 112 U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

1.3"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Vantage

85% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.

5,115 heating degree daysLess heating than 55% of U.S. towns
923 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 51% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Smyrna, WA.

Living here

Living with Vantage’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

172 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 23 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 12.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June and September. 2.4 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Vantage from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door & far away

Vantage and similar climates

TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Vantage yet.

Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Vantage averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).

+1.0°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A smaller shift than in 75% of U.S. towns.

Winter+2.1°now 34°, was 32°
Spring+0.6°now 54°, was 53°
Summer+0.9°now 73°, was 72°
Fall+0.6°now 53°, was 52°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Vantage compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Vantage’s place among Washington’s.

Summer heat91° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns4th hottest of 266 in Washington
Winter cold26° January low
Milder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns231st mildest of 266 in Washington
Precipitation7" a year
Drier than all but 112 U.S. towns3rd driest of 266 in Washington
Hot days54 days at 90°+
More 90° days than 77% of U.S. towns2nd most of 266 in Washington
Freezing nights122 a year
More freezing nights than 58% of U.S. towns40th most of 266 in Washington
Growing season172 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 69% of U.S. towns46th shortest of 266 in Washington
Month by month

Vantage weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Vantage’s center. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + melt30-yr range
January39°26°0.9"24° – 37°
February46°29°0.7"27° – 44°
March57°34°0.7"40° – 51°
April66°40°0.6"48° – 60°
May75°49°0.6"57° – 67°
June82°55°0.5"64° – 77°
July91°61°0.2"69° – 80°
August90°60°0.1"69° – 78°
September80°51°0.2"62° – 70°
October65°40°0.6"48° – 58°
November49°31°0.9"34° – 46°
December38°26°1.3"26° – 37°
Year65°42°7.3"
Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 44°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Vantage’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 Vantage’s center.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Smyrna, WA, 17 miles from the town’s center, 120 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 Vantage’s climate

What is the weather like in Vantage?

A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 26°. Milder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Vantage in winter?

January nights average 26°. About 122 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.

How hot does it get in Vantage?

July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 61°. About 54 days a year reach 90° and 13 reach 100° (Smyrna, WA).

When is the first and last frost in Vantage?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 23 and the first fall frost by October 12, about 172 frost-free days, at Smyrna, WA.

What growing zone is Vantage in?

Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 5°.

What is the best time of year to visit Vantage?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Vantage getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Vantage.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.