Spokane, WA Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Explore NOAA NCEI's 1991–2020 climate normals → and a clearly labeled PlainClimate comfort calculation
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Spokane's primary NOAA station, SPOKANE INTL AP - 3 stations mapped to the area.
The climate verdict for Spokane
Dryness leads the climate profile for Spokane, Washington, with 16.4 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 49°F. At 49/100 (moderate) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 18% of scores.
- 49°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 49/100
- comfort score, above 18% of station-mapped location scores
- 16.4"
- annual precipitation · 45" snow
- 169 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Spokane: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USW00024157 · Spokane, WA 49°F mean · 16.4" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-COOL · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-DRY · SWING-MID · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-MULTI · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 49°F
- RANK-COOL #2,333
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Port Meadville
- PRCP-DRY 16.4"
- SWING-MID 42°F
- COMF-LOW 49/100
- LOAD-HEAT 6,463 HDD
- STN-MULTI USW00024157
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Port Meadville, PA (+ 0 °F mean)
Instrument codes from this station's NOAA 1991–2020 normals, mean temperature, corpus warmth rank, photo-finish peer station, precipitation band, seasonal swing, comfort composite, degree-day load, and field book, not a livability rating.
Mean-temperature neighbourhood
Nationwide NOAA normal poles and nearest peers, not a reprint of every WA station list.
- Spokane (this station) 49°F
- Cold Rush, CO 49°F
- Hot Dove Creek, CO 49°F
- Near Port Meadville, PA 49°F
- Near Loveland, CO 49°F
Climate Living Index · Spokane
Spokane: 42/100 · grade D
Spokane publishes all six Living Index dimensions from NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals · NOAA hourly normals.
PlainClimate-derived for Spokane, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 49/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 132 calendar days | 58/100 · C |
| Summer moisture balance | 43.1°F mean dew point | 49/100 · D |
| Frost-free season | 169 days/year | 41/100 · D |
| Annual temperature balance | 48.6°F · 18.9° from 67.5°F | 34/100 · F |
| Precipitation balance | 16.4 in · 18.6 from 35 in | 34/100 · F |
| Snowfall burden | 45.4 inches/year | 24/100 · F |
Spokane · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Spokane is a continental Köppen climate: Dsb
Coldest-month mean 29.1°F and warmest-month mean 71.0°F place this station in continental, dry-summer, warm summer climates (Dsb). Class Dsb is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: continental, specifically continental, dry-summer, warm summer.
- Köppen code
- Dsb
- Group
- Continental
- Warmest month
- 71.0°F
- Coldest month
- 29.1°F
Source: official public datasets monthly normals (1991–2020) at the city’s primary station. This is a station classification, not a mapped regional consensus.
National standing · heating-led station
Where Spokane sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Spokane's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- 34th percentile warmth
- Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 79%
- Spokane's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- 44th percentile swing
- Typical seasonal amplitude versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Spokane compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Spokane's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
49 18th percentile score exceeds 18% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). This entry sits in this band.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Above this entry.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). Above this entry.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Spokane's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 126 complete annual observations from 1885 to 2025, SPOKANE INTL AP warmed at a fitted rate of 0.08°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Spokane primary station fitted change +0.08 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35°F (1°C) | 25°F (-4°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 2.0" | 12.3" | 25.9 | 0.0 |
| February | 40°F (4°C) | 26°F (-3°C) | 33°F (0°C) | 1.4" | 7.8" | 22.9 | 0.0 |
| March | 49°F (9°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 40°F (4°C) | 1.8" | 3.9" | 19.4 | 0.0 |
| April | 57°F (14°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 1.3" | 0.7" | 8.3 | 0.0 |
| May | 67°F (19°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 1.6" | 0.1" | 1.5 | 0.3 |
| June | 74°F (23°C) | 51°F (10°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 1.2" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 1.5 |
| July | 84°F (29°C) | 58°F (14°C) | 71°F (22°C) | 0.4" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 9.4 |
| August | 84°F (29°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 70°F (21°C) | 0.5" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 8.3 |
| September | 74°F (23°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 0.6" | 0.1" | 0.4 | 1.4 |
| October | 58°F (14°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 1.4" | 0.5" | 7.5 | 0.0 |
| November | 42°F (6°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 2.1" | 6.2" | 19.2 | 0.0 |
| December | 34°F (1°C) | 24°F (-4°C) | 29°F (-2°C) | 2.3" | 13.8" | 26.9 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Summer here tops out rather than builds: the warmest normal high is 87°F around July 27, short of 90°F on every date, while 132 dates carry a normal low at or below freezing, the coldest 23°F near December 23.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into March 17, then returns to freezing around November 7, covering 132 dates in all.
Derived from the normal daily minimum. This is a different measure from the 50%-probability frost dates shown elsewhere on this page, which come from NOAA’s frost product.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is January 2, when 48% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is August 8 at 10%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 113 wet dates a year.
The widest day
July 27 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 28°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Spokane.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 12.3"
14.2 days with precipitation
Snow: 7.8"
10.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 3.9"
11.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.7"
10.3 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.1"
9.7 days with precipitation
7.8 days with precipitation
4.0 days with precipitation
3.2 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.1"
4.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.5"
8.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 6.2"
13.4 days with precipitation
Snow: 13.8"
13.8 days with precipitation
Spokane spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 13% of the annual total and December through February 35%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Spokane has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a 41.9°F seasonal spread.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: December averages 2.3" and July 0.4". The three wettest months together take 39% of the year, against the 25% a perfectly flat distribution would give them.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. "Spread across the year" means neither the June-August nor the December-February share reaches 35%; it describes an average year, not the variability of any single one.
Spokane is dry, and what does fall arrives gently
Only about 113 days a year record measurable precipitation here, 31% of the calendar, and they carry 16.5" between them. At roughly 0.15 inches on an average wet day, this is not the damp drizzle of a marine climate; it is an arid record in which precipitation is both uncommon and light when it appears.
The wettest month by count is January at about 14 wet days; the driest is August at about 3.
A low per-event average in a dry record is a statement about typical days only. Arid regions can still take a large share of a year's total from a single convective storm, which a normal cannot show.
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year, not the extremes within it.
Winter brings real snow to Spokane
Spokane averages 45.4 inches of snowfall a year, with December the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 35 days that record measurable snow. That is depth accumulating on the ground, which is why it can exceed the annual precipitation figure: precipitation counts the liquid the snow melts down to, and fresh snow is mostly air.
- Annual snowfall: 45.4 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 35 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 28% of the year's precipitation.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. The ten-to-one ratio is a convention, not a measurement: real ratios vary with temperature, so treat the share as an order of magnitude rather than an exact split.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 12
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 26
50% probability date
Growing Season
169 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
6,463
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
515
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
December
Humidity & Wind
Monthly averages from hourly observations
| Month | Humidity | Wind (mph) | Clear Sky % | Overcast % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 84% | 8.0 | 8% | 59% |
| February | 73% | 8.7 | 13% | 42% |
| March | 65% | 9.8 | 12% | 34% |
| April | 54% | 9.9 | 11% | 25% |
| May | 53% | 9.0 | 11% | 25% |
| June | 47% | 8.6 | 15% | 13% |
| July | 37% | 8.0 | 29% | 5% |
| August | 43% | 7.9 | 24% | 9% |
| September | 53% | 7.8 | 28% | 16% |
| October | 75% | 7.9 | 13% | 41% |
| November | 84% | 8.1 | 9% | 57% |
| December | 87% | 7.9 | 6% | 64% |
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside WA closest to Spokane on two NOAA annual-normal axes (mean temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual mean temperature (49°F here).
- Antioch, IL 49°F · 0.0°F off
- Baker, NV 49°F · 0.0°F off
- Blissfield, MI 49°F · 0.0°F off
- Bloomingdale, MI 49°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (16.4" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Prescott, AZ 16.5" · 0.0" off
- Pleasant Grove, UT 16.4" · 0.0" off
- Winifred, MT 16.4" · 0.0" off
- Superior, MT 16.4" · 0.0" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Spokane
heating led · dry · mid swing
Spokane's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 6,463 annual heating degree days against 515 for cooling. Its 41.9°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Spokane's frost-free season lasts about 169 days, a middle-length window whose endpoints matter more than the annual average. It describes freeze probability, not year-specific planting conditions.
-
1. Spokane coldest normal
December
The monthly mean of 29°F (-2°C) sits near freezing, so cold nights and above-freezing afternoons share the same month.
-
2. Spokane typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Spokane snow peak
December
Spokane averages 45.4 inches of snow a year, with December the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Spokane's climate
How much snow does Spokane get? ▼
How cold does Spokane get in winter? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Spokane? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Spokane's primary station: SPOKANE INTL AP (USW00024157). 3 NOAA stations are mapped to the Spokane area; the primary station's record is used for consistency. For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The 2024 Census Gazetteer identifies the exact name-and-state match as an incorporated place (GEOID 5367000). Match rule for Spokane: exact normalized name + state only, no fuzzy expansion, so nearby differently spelled facilities stay unmatched.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Spokane comes from its primary NOAA station record. No figure on this page is typed in by an editor - each value is rendered from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 1991–2020 normals.