Fern Prairie, WA climate
Fern Prairie has mild winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 36°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Fern Prairie feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Fern Prairie 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 | 46° | 36° | 8.5" | 2.1" | 20 | 0 | 34° – 45° |
| February | 50° | 36° | 6.5" | 1.9" | 17 | 0 | 36° – 48° |
| March | 55° | 38° | 6.9" | 0.3" | 20 | 0 | 43° – 51° |
| April | 60° | 41° | 5.8" | 0 | 19 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 4.1" | 0 | 15 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| June | 72° | 51° | 3.0" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| July | 80° | 55° | 0.8" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| August | 81° | 55° | 1.0" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 75° | 50° | 2.6" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 59° – 65° |
| October | 63° | 44° | 6.1" | 0 | 15 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| November | 52° | 39° | 9.4" | 0.4" | 20 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| December | 45° | 35° | 9.5" | 1.5" | 21 | 0 | 35° – 43° |
| Year | 62° | 44° | 64.0" | 6.2" | 177 | 1 |
“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 Fern Prairie
Fern Prairie gets 64 inches of rain and melted snow a year. December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 177 days a year.
About 237 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 26 and the first one by November 17. That leaves about 237 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 88% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Fern Prairie
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Fern Prairie, 93% of that work is heating and 7% 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.
How Fern Prairie 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 Fern Prairie averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°). The shift is larger than in 62% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Fern Prairie’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 36° to 48°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about Fern Prairie’s climate
What is the coldest month in Fern Prairie?
December, with a typical high of 45° and a low of 35°.
What is the hottest month in Fern Prairie?
August, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 55°. About 18 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Fern Prairie get?
About 6 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Fern Prairie?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 17, and the last spring frost by March 26.
What is the rainiest month in Fern Prairie?
December, with 9.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 64 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Fern Prairie itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Skamania Fish Hatchery, WA (9 mi, snow) and Troutdale, OR (6 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.