Fort Simcoe State Park · Photo: James W. Rosenthal · Public domainWhite Swan is among the driest of U.S. towns: 10 inches of precipitation a year
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 27°. January is the wettest month, August the driest. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 70% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season, with highs of 73–80°, runs through May, June and September.
A year in White Swan at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about White Swan’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with White Swan’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in White Swan feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 149 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Yakima Air Terminal, WA, 16 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts White Swan’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 20 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Yakima Air Terminal, WA, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 10 inches a year; January is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 72 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in White Swan
90% 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 Yakima Air Terminal, WA.
Living with White Swan’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
149 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 8 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 1.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in White Swan from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →White Swan and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around White Swan yet.
Climates most like White Swan’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Swan, WA | 27° | 89° | 10" | 20" |
| Cold Springs, NV | 23° | 88° | 13" | 17" |
| Kimberly, ID | 22° | 90° | 10" | 24" |
| Silver City, NM | 26° | 87° | 16" | 13" |
| Williamson, AZ | 26° | 91° | 13" | 10" |
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 White Swan averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.1°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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 White Swan compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with White Swan’s place among Washington’s.
White Swan weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at White Swan’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Yakima Air Terminal, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 27° | 1.7" | 6.2" | 10 | 11 | 25° – 39° |
| February | 47° | 28° | 1.1" | 2.7" | 7 | 4 | 28° – 45° |
| March | 56° | 33° | 0.8" | 0.6" | 7 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| April | 64° | 38° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 45° – 58° |
| May | 73° | 45° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 51° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 61° – 74° |
| July | 89° | 56° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 64° – 76° |
| August | 88° | 54° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| September | 79° | 47° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| October | 65° | 37° | 0.8" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| November | 50° | 30° | 1.1" | 3.0" | 8 | 2 | 34° – 46° |
| December | 39° | 25° | 1.7" | 7.7" | 10 | 9 | 26° – 37° |
| Year | 64° | 39° | 9.5" | 20.3" | 72 | 26 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 45°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where White Swan’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 White Swan’s center.
- Snow: Yakima Air Terminal, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Yakima Air Terminal, WA, 16 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 White Swan’s climate
What is the weather like in White Swan?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in White Swan in winter?
December nights average 25°. About 147 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does White Swan get?
About 20 inches in a normal winter at Yakima Air Terminal, WA, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 26 days a year.
How hot does it get in White Swan?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 56°. About 40 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Yakima Air Terminal, WA).
When is the first and last frost in White Swan?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 8 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 149 frost-free days, at Yakima Air Terminal, WA.
What growing zone is White Swan in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit White Swan?
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 White Swan getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in White Swan.
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.