Olympia, Washington climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Olympia's normal year runs from 33°F December nights to 78°F July afternoons, with 50.6 inches of precipitation and 4 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 10.3°C, December lows of 0°C, July highs of 25°C, 1,286 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationOlympia Airport
- Station IDUSW00024227
- Location46.97°N 122.90°W
- Elevation188 ft (57 m)
- Population56,271
On October 23, the normal high in Olympia is 57°F and the normal low 39°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 53%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Olympia.
- Jan 46° 33°
- Feb 49° 32°
- Mar 54° 35°
- Apr 59° 38°
- May 66° 43°
- Jun 71° 47°
- Jul 78° 51°
- Aug 78° 51°
- Sep 72° 46°
- Oct 60° 41°
- Nov 51° 36°
- Dec 45° 33°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Olympia each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 78°F; December the coldest, with normal lows of 33°F. The most precipitation falls in November (8.21 in), the least in July (0.53 in).
Each month has its own page with the day-by-day normals, the month's records and its recent years:
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46°F | 33°F | 39.6°F | 7.80 | 2.0 | 20 | <1 | 13 | 8 h 50 min |
| February | 49°F | 32°F | 40.7°F | 5.09 | 0.6 | 16 | <1 | 14 | 10 h 20 min |
| March | 54°F | 35°F | 44.1°F | 5.68 | 0.1 | 19 | <1 | 13 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 59°F | 38°F | 48.2°F | 3.67 | 0.0 | 16 | <1 | 6 | 13 h 30 min |
| May | 66°F | 43°F | 54.5°F | 2.26 | 0.0 | 11 | <1 | 1 | 15 h |
| June | 71°F | 47°F | 59.1°F | 1.46 | 0.0 | 9 | 1 | <1 | 15 h 50 min |
| July | 78°F | 51°F | 64.2°F | 0.53 | 0.0 | 4 | 3 | <1 | 15 h 30 min |
| August | 78°F | 51°F | 64.2°F | 0.96 | 0.0 | 5 | 2 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| September | 72°F | 46°F | 59.1°F | 2.04 | 0.0 | 8 | <1 | <1 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 60°F | 41°F | 50.3°F | 5.07 | 0.0 | 15 | <1 | 4 | 11 h |
| November | 51°F | 36°F | 43.2°F | 8.21 | 0.0 | 20 | <1 | 11 | 9 h 20 min |
| December | 45°F | 33°F | 38.9°F | 7.85 | 1.2 | 20 | <1 | 14 | 8 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 61°F | 40°F | 50.5°F | 50.62 | 3.9 | 163 | 6 | 77 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 8°C | 1°C | 4.2°C | 198 mm | 5 cm |
| February | 10°C | 0°C | 4.8°C | 129 mm | 2 cm |
| March | 12°C | 1°C | 6.7°C | 144 mm | 0 cm |
| April | 15°C | 3°C | 9.0°C | 93 mm | 0 cm |
| May | 19°C | 6°C | 12.5°C | 57 mm | 0 cm |
| June | 22°C | 9°C | 15.1°C | 37 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 25°C | 10°C | 17.9°C | 13 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 26°C | 10°C | 17.9°C | 24 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 22°C | 8°C | 15.1°C | 52 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 16°C | 5°C | 10.2°C | 129 mm | 0 cm |
| November | 10°C | 2°C | 6.2°C | 209 mm | 0 cm |
| December | 7°C | 0°C | 3.8°C | 199 mm | 3 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00024227; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit Olympia?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September. Of those, July has the fewest days with rain (4).
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00024227.
When is the last frost in Olympia?
In Olympia, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 29 in half of years and after May 15 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 14 in half of years and before September 28 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- April 291 year in 10 after May 15; 9 in 10 after April 11
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 141 year in 10 before September 28; 9 in 10 before November 1
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 169 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 210 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 5 in half of springs and before November 1 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Olympia in zones 8a to 8b across its 2 ZIP code areas (8a in 98501, the largest). By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, Olympia's NOAA station is in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical year reaches 13°F (30 complete years).
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Washington · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00024227; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; the station zone: ACIS daily lows, 1991-2020. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
What hardiness zone is each Olympia ZIP code in?
The USDA's 2023 map gives each ZIP code area one zone. Olympia's 2 ZIP code areas run from zone 8a to 8b: 1 in 8a and 1 in 8b. Each ZIP's frost dates are in the frost tool.
Source: USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; ZIP areas in the place: Census Bureau 2020 ZCTA-to-place relationship file. A ZIP area counts when at least a tenth of its land (and 0.5 km²) lies in the place.
How hot and how cold does it get in Olympia?
In a normal year in Olympia, 6 days a year reach 90°F, 77 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 163 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 6a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 77a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 1high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 163a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 1a normal year
The highest temperature in Olympia's official record (kept by the National Weather Service since 1948) is 110°F, on June 28, 2021; the lowest is −8°F, on January 1, 1979.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1950, with 66.71 in; the snowiest season is 1968–69, with 81.5 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00024227; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), NWS threaded record OLMthr. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is Olympia, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 52°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 53°F; the driest air comes in February (36°F). March is the windiest month (6.2 mph on average), and July has the most clear or nearly clear hours (65%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37°F | 87% | 74% | 5.7 mph | 25% | 55% |
| February | 36°F | 81% | 62% | 5.9 mph | 32% | 45% |
| March | 39°F | 77% | 56% | 6.2 mph | 32% | 41% |
| April | 42°F | 72% | 50% | 6.1 mph | 42% | 36% |
| May | 47°F | 71% | 50% | 5.6 mph | 43% | 33% |
| June | 51°F | 69% | 47% | 5.4 mph | 52% | 26% |
| July | 53°F | 68% | 44% | 4.9 mph | 65% | 21% |
| August | 52°F | 71% | 45% | 4.7 mph | 59% | 20% |
| September | 48°F | 79% | 54% | 4.5 mph | 55% | 26% |
| October | 42°F | 86% | 68% | 5.2 mph | 33% | 46% |
| November | 37°F | 88% | 78% | 5.8 mph | 25% | 54% |
| December | 36°F | 90% | 80% | 5.7 mph | 19% | 63% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00024227. Monthly averages of all hours; afternoon humidity at 3 p.m. local standard time; sky as the share of hours NOAA's observations rate clear or few clouds (a dash where NOAA publishes no sky value).
How sunny is Olympia?
Over a year 67% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Olympia, 3.5 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (78%) and December the cloudiest (52%). Among the 459 U.S. places of 50,000 or more, that ranks tied 452nd (with 6 others) in sunshine.
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 52% | 1.1 |
| February | 59% | 2.0 |
| March | 57% | 2.9 |
| April | 62% | 4.2 |
| May | 66% | 5.2 |
| June | 67% | 5.7 |
| July | 78% | 6.4 |
| August | 78% | 5.4 |
| September | 75% | 4.0 |
| October | 65% | 2.4 |
| November | 55% | 1.3 |
| December | 52% | 0.9 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does Olympia need?
A normal year in Olympia brings 5,378 heating degree days, 0% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 113 cooling degree days, 88% fewer than the median (908). Eight months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 1,723 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 787 | 0 |
| February | 680 | 0 |
| March | 648 | 0 |
| April | 504 | 0 |
| May | 326 | 2 |
| June | 189 | 12 |
| July | 73 | 47 |
| August | 67 | 44 |
| September | 183 | 8 |
| October | 454 | 0 |
| November | 654 | 0 |
| December | 811 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 5,378 | 113 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00024227. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
Has Olympia been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 51.5°F, 1.0°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 50.5°F. 5 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 51.3°F | +0.8°F | 58.80 | – |
| 2022 | 50.6°F | +0.1°F | 51.29 | – |
| 2023 | 51.7°F | +1.2°F | 41.86 | – |
| 2024 | 52.0°F | +1.5°F | 49.54 | – |
| 2025 | 51.5°F | +1.0°F | – | – |
Over 123 complete years from 1895 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 0.9°F per century (+0.05°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00024227; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Olympia's climate compare?
Olympia is warmer than 46 of the other 95 places with their own NOAA record in Washington, and wetter than 69. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 50.5°F is warmer than 43%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Olympia is Csb: temperate, dry-summer, warm summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Which places near Olympia share this climate record?
9 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Lacey, WAalso near: Tacoma (19 mi, 51.9°F a year); Shelton (21 mi, 51.4°F a year)58,644 people · 7 mi NE
- Tumwater, WA27,826 people · 1 mi NW
- Yelm, WA11,715 people · 12 mi E
- Tanglewilde, WA6,822 people · 8 mi NE
- Rainier, WA2,506 people · 12 mi SE
- North Yelm, WA2,503 people · 14 mi E
- Tenino, WA1,956 people · 9 mi S
- McKenna, WA638 people · 17 mi E
- Nisqually Indian Community, WA513 people · 11 mi E
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about Olympia's climate
What is the coldest month in Olympia?
December, with a normal high of 45°F and a normal low of 33°F. The warmest is July (78°F by day, 51°F at night).
Does it snow in Olympia?
Yes: 4 inches in a normal year, falling on 2 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in January (2.0 inches).
What is the rainiest month in Olympia?
November, with 8.21 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is July with 0.53 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Olympia in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Olympia in zones 8a to 8b across its 2 ZIP code areas (8a in 98501, the largest). By the same method at Olympia's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches 13°F (30 years, 1991-2020): zone 8a.
How late can frost come in Olympia?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 29; in one year in ten it comes after May 15. Waiting until May 15 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Olympia in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- Washington climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Centralia, WA17 miles from this station, 51.5°F a year
- Shelton, WA21 miles from this station, 51.4°F a year
- Elma, WA24 miles from this station, 52.3°F a year
- Tacoma, WA25 miles from this station, 51.9°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made