Priest Rapids Dam, WA Climate

Climate Insight: Priest Rapids Dam, WA

Priest Rapids Dam, Washington runs an annual average of 56°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 65°F to a mean daily low of 47°F, per NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. Drawn from station USC00456747, these thirty-year averages smooth out year-to-year swings into a baseline for what a typical month looks like here.

Rainfall (and snow, where it falls) shapes day-to-day life here as much as temperature does. Priest Rapids Dam sees about 7.5 inches of precipitation a year, predominantly as rainfall. The frost-free season averages 225 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near March 24 and the first fall freeze near November 4. On the energy side, 4,514 heating degree days and 1,273 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.

On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Priest Rapids Dam scores 58/100 (Moderate), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. The monthly tables above turn that into a planning tool: expect the mildest highs and lows in the shoulder seasons, July-driven heat at the peak of summer, and January-driven cold at the depth of winter. Every number here is a thirty-year average, not a forecast, so any given year can and does run warmer, cooler, wetter, or drier than the normal.