Lake Washington, ND climate
Lake Washington has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to -2°, and about 60 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Lake Washington feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Lake Washington weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 17° | -2° | 0.5" | 11.4" | 6 | 30 | -7° – 24° |
| February | 22° | 3° | 0.4" | 9.4" | 6 | 26 | -3° – 26° |
| March | 35° | 15° | 0.7" | 8.2" | 5 | 23 | 13° – 39° |
| April | 52° | 29° | 1.1" | 4.3" | 6 | 7 | 28° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 2.7" | 0.9" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| June | 75° | 53° | 3.5" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 80° | 57° | 3.5" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 62° – 74° |
| August | 79° | 54° | 2.5" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 45° | 2.0" | 0 | 7 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| October | 54° | 32° | 1.6" | 2.5" | 7 | 2 | 34° – 48° |
| November | 36° | 18° | 0.7" | 8.8" | 6 | 14 | 13° – 39° |
| December | 22° | 5° | 0.6" | 14.3" | 7 | 26 | 0° – 23° |
| Year | 51° | 29° | 19.7" | 59.8" | 86 | 128 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Lake Washington
Lake Washington gets 20 inches of rain and melted snow a year. June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 86 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 128 days of the year.
About 139 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first one by September 28. That leaves about 139 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 90% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Lake Washington
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Lake Washington, 96% of that work is heating and 4% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Lake Washington and its neighbors
Lake Washington borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.6°. Colvin has the coldest January nights (-2°) and Columbia the hottest July afternoons (81°). Lake Washington’s January low is -2° and its July high 80°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Lake Washington compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Lake Washington averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.1°). The shift is larger than in 71% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Lake Washington’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. January swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from -7° to 24°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Lake Washington’s climate
What is the coldest month in Lake Washington?
January, with a typical high of 17° and a low of -2°.
What is the hottest month in Lake Washington?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 57°. About 8 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Lake Washington get?
About 60 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Lake Washington?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 28, and the last spring frost by May 12.
What is the rainiest month in Lake Washington?
June, with 3.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 20 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Lake Washington itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Mc Henry 3w, ND (10 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.