Photo: WhyIsThisSoHard575483838 · CC BY 4.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Wilson Creek: 9 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 23°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 73% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.9° rise. If you like long walks, May, June and September offer highs of 73–79°.
A year in Wilson Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wilson Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wilson Creek’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in Wilson Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ephrata Muni Airport, 20 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wilson Creek’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. 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 14 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Odessa, WA, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 9 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 73 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wilson Creek
87% 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 Ephrata Muni Airport.
Living with Wilson Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
175 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 22 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wilson Creek from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wilson Creek and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Wilson Creek yet.
Climates most like Wilson Creek’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilson Creek, WA | 23° | 89° | 9" | 14" |
| Johnson Lane, NV | 22° | 91° | 10" | 14" |
| Snowflake, AZ | 20° | 90° | 10" | 13" |
| Burley, ID | 21° | 89° | 10" | 21" |
| Madras, OR | 26° | 87° | 11" | 14" |
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 Wilson Creek averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.6°).
A smaller shift than in 82% 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 Wilson Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wilson Creek’s place among Washington’s.
Wilson Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wilson Creek’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Odessa, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 23° | 1.1" | 4.9" | 9 | 20° – 35° |
| February | 43° | 26° | 0.8" | 1.5" | 7 | 23° – 41° |
| March | 53° | 30° | 0.8" | 0.8" | 8 | 34° – 49° |
| April | 62° | 36° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 43° – 55° |
| May | 73° | 43° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 53° – 63° |
| June | 79° | 50° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 60° – 73° |
| July | 89° | 55° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 64° – 77° |
| August | 88° | 54° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 65° – 74° |
| September | 78° | 46° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 59° – 66° |
| October | 62° | 36° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 43° – 55° |
| November | 45° | 28° | 1.1" | 2.0" | 9 | 30° – 44° |
| December | 35° | 23° | 1.4" | 4.7" | 9 | 22° – 35° |
| Year | 62° | 37° | 9.1" | 13.9" | 73 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 41°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Wilson Creek’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 Wilson Creek’s center.
- Snow: Odessa, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ephrata Muni Airport, 20 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 Wilson Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Wilson Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wilson Creek in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 121 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Wilson Creek get?
About 14 inches in a normal winter at Odessa, WA, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Wilson Creek?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 55°. About 40 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Ephrata Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Wilson Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 175 frost-free days, at Ephrata Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Wilson Creek in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Wilson Creek?
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 Wilson Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wilson Creek.
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.