Photo: Williamborg · Public domainWallula sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 10 inches a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 91°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 62° apart. Its July heat outdoes that of 81% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 7; in half of years the first frost comes by October 22.
A year in Wallula at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wallula’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wallula’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Wallula feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 199 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 7 and the first by October 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ice Harbor Dam, WA, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wallula’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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ice Harbor Dam, WA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 10 inches a year; January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 97 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wallula
85% 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 Ice Harbor Dam, WA.
Living with Wallula’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
199 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 7 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wallula from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (60%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wallula and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Wallula yet.
Climates most like Wallula’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wallula, WA | 30° | 91° | 10" | 2.0" |
| Alpine, TX | 30° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
| Sierra Vista, AZ | 32° | 91° | 14" | 0.4" |
| Alamogordo, NM | 27° | 93° | 11" | 2.4" |
| Spanish Springs, NV | 25° | 91° | 10" | 6.8" |
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 Wallula averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Wallula compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wallula’s place among Washington’s.
Wallula weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wallula’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ice Harbor Dam, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 30° | 1.3" | 0.2" | 14 | 0 | 23° – 43° |
| February | 49° | 31° | 0.9" | 0.2" | 10 | 1 | 27° – 45° |
| March | 58° | 35° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 51° |
| April | 66° | 40° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| May | 75° | 48° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| June | 81° | 54° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| July | 91° | 59° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 68° – 79° |
| August | 90° | 58° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| September | 80° | 50° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| October | 66° | 41° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 51° | 34° | 1.1" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 36° – 48° |
| December | 42° | 29° | 1.3" | 1.4" | 13 | 1 | 28° – 41° |
| Year | 66° | 42° | 9.9" | 2.0" | 97 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 43°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Wallula’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 Wallula’s center.
- Snow: Ice Harbor Dam, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ice Harbor Dam, WA, 11 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 Wallula’s climate
What is the weather like in Wallula?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wallula in winter?
December nights average 29°. About 84 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does Wallula get?
About 2.0 inches in a normal winter at Ice Harbor Dam, WA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Wallula?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 59°. About 37 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Ice Harbor Dam, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Wallula?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 7 and the first fall frost by October 22, about 199 frost-free days, at Ice Harbor Dam, WA.
What growing zone is Wallula 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 Wallula?
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 Wallula getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wallula.
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.