Photo: Jennifer Gottwald · CC BY 2.0Wenatchee is among the driest of U.S. towns: 10 inches of precipitation a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 26°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 74% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.4° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Tender plants can go out after about April 4; in half of years the first frost comes by October 28.
A year in Wenatchee at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wenatchee’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wenatchee’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Wenatchee feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 208 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 4 and the first by October 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wenatchee, WA, 1.0 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wenatchee’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°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 17 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wenatchee, WA, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 10 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 67 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wenatchee
86% 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 Wenatchee, WA.
Living with Wenatchee’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
208 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 4 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June and September. 13 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wenatchee from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wenatchee and its neighbors
Sunnyslope has the coldest January nights next door (23°, 3° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Wenatchee’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wenatchee, WA | 26° | 89° | 10" | 17" |
| Carson City, NV | 23° | 90° | 11" | 14" |
| Madras, OR | 26° | 87° | 11" | 14" |
| Kimberly, ID | 22° | 90° | 10" | 24" |
| Williamson, AZ | 26° | 91° | 13" | 10" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Wenatchee averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.1°).
A smaller shift than in 50% 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 Wenatchee compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wenatchee’s place among Washington’s.
Wenatchee weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wenatchee’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wenatchee, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 26° | 1.4" | 5.6" | 10 | 13 | 24° – 37° |
| February | 45° | 28° | 1.0" | 3.0" | 7 | 5 | 27° – 43° |
| March | 56° | 34° | 0.8" | 0.4" | 6 | 1 | 40° – 51° |
| April | 65° | 40° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| May | 74° | 49° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| June | 80° | 55° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 64° – 77° |
| July | 89° | 61° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 68° – 79° |
| August | 89° | 60° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| September | 80° | 51° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| October | 64° | 40° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 32° | 1.2" | 1.5" | 9 | 1 | 34° – 47° |
| December | 36° | 26° | 1.7" | 6.0" | 10 | 10 | 25° – 36° |
| Year | 64° | 42° | 9.5" | 16.5" | 67 | 30 |
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 43°. September is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Wenatchee’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 Wenatchee’s center.
- Snow: Wenatchee, WA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wenatchee, WA, 1.0 miles from the town’s center, 170 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 Wenatchee’s climate
What is the weather like in Wenatchee?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wenatchee in winter?
January nights average 26°. About 105 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Wenatchee get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter at Wenatchee, WA, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 30 days a year.
How hot does it get in Wenatchee?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 61°. About 36 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Wenatchee, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Wenatchee?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 4 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 208 frost-free days, at Wenatchee, WA.
What growing zone is Wenatchee 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 Wenatchee?
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 Wenatchee getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wenatchee.
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.