C. C. Van Arsdol House · Photo: Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 4.0West Clarkston-Highland sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 12 inches a year
January mornings start at about 30°. Its July heat outdoes that of 91% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.5° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from November to March, which average under 50°.
A year in West Clarkston-Highland at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about West Clarkston-Highland’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with West Clarkston-Highland’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in West Clarkston-Highland feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 200 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 6 and the first by October 26. Frost and day counts come from Lewiston Nez Perce Co Airport, 3 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts West Clarkston-Highland’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 9°. 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 13 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lewiston Nez Perce Co Airport, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; May is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 106 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in West Clarkston-Highland
85% of the work is heating. 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 Lewiston Nez Perce Co Airport.
Living with West Clarkston-Highland’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
200 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 6 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in West Clarkston-Highland from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →West Clarkston-Highland and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of West Clarkston-Highland in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like West Clarkston-Highland’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Clarkston-Highland, WA | 30° | 93° | 12" | 13" |
| Chino Valley, AZ | 27° | 92° | 11" | 10" |
| Middleton, ID | 24° | 93° | 11" | 9.7" |
| Seminole, TX | 29° | 94° | 16" | 4.8" |
| Portales, NM | 25° | 93° | 16" | 7.6" |
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 West Clarkston-Highland averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.1°).
A bigger shift than in 60% 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 West Clarkston-Highland compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with West Clarkston-Highland’s place among Washington’s.
West Clarkston-Highland weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at West Clarkston-Highland’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lewiston Nez Perce Co Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 30° | 1.1" | 2.7" | 11 | 3 | 27° – 41° |
| February | 48° | 31° | 1.0" | 3.8" | 10 | 3 | 31° – 46° |
| March | 58° | 36° | 1.2" | 0.8" | 12 | 1 | 41° – 52° |
| April | 66° | 41° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| May | 75° | 48° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| June | 82° | 54° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 75° |
| July | 93° | 59° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 67° – 80° |
| August | 92° | 58° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| September | 82° | 50° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| October | 66° | 40° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| November | 51° | 34° | 1.2" | 1.3" | 11 | 1 | 35° – 48° |
| December | 42° | 29° | 1.3" | 4.1" | 11 | 3 | 29° – 40° |
| Year | 66° | 42° | 12.4" | 12.7" | 106 | 11 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 46°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where West Clarkston-Highland’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 West Clarkston-Highland’s center.
- Snow: Lewiston Nez Perce Co Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lewiston Nez Perce Co Airport, 3 miles from the town’s center, 560 ft higher; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 West Clarkston-Highland’s climate
What is the weather like in West Clarkston-Highland?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in West Clarkston-Highland in winter?
December nights average 29°. About 80 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does West Clarkston-Highland get?
About 13 inches in a normal winter at Lewiston Nez Perce Co Airport, most of it in February and December, with snow on the ground about 11 days a year.
How hot does it get in West Clarkston-Highland?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 59°. About 44 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Lewiston Nez Perce Co Airport).
When is the first and last frost in West Clarkston-Highland?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 6 and the first fall frost by October 26, about 200 frost-free days, at Lewiston Nez Perce Co Airport.
What growing zone is West Clarkston-Highland in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 9°.
What is the best time of year to visit West Clarkston-Highland?
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 West Clarkston-Highland getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in West Clarkston-Highland.
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.