Forks, WA climate
Forks has mild winters and cool summers, with plenty of rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 70°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 8 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Forks feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Forks 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° | 35° | 17.3" | 3.1" | 23 | 2 | 36° – 45° |
| February | 49° | 35° | 10.6" | 1.3" | 20 | 0 | 35° – 48° |
| March | 52° | 36° | 12.8" | 0.5" | 23 | 0 | 41° – 49° |
| April | 57° | 39° | 8.5" | 0.1" | 20 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| May | 62° | 44° | 4.5" | 0 | 16 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| June | 66° | 48° | 3.3" | 0 | 16 | 0 | 54° – 60° |
| July | 70° | 51° | 1.8" | 0 | 10 | 0 | 57° – 63° |
| August | 71° | 51° | 2.5" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 59° – 63° |
| September | 68° | 47° | 4.5" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 55° – 62° |
| October | 59° | 42° | 11.0" | 0 | 19 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| November | 51° | 38° | 16.7" | 1.0" | 23 | 1 | 41° – 48° |
| December | 46° | 35° | 15.7" | 1.9" | 24 | 2 | 36° – 43° |
| Year | 58° | 42° | 109.3" | 7.9" | 215 | 5 |
“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 Forks
Forks gets 109 inches of rain and melted snow a year. January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 215 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 5 days of the year.
About 182 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first one by October 25. That leaves about 182 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 55% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Forks
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Forks, 99% of that work is heating and 1% 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 Forks 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 Forks averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°). The shift is smaller than in 78% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Forks’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 35° to 48°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Common questions about Forks’s climate
What is the coldest month in Forks?
February, with a typical high of 49° and a low of 35°.
What is the hottest month in Forks?
August, with a typical high of 71° and a low of 51°. About 4 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Forks get?
About 8 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Forks?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 25, and the last spring frost by April 26.
What is the rainiest month in Forks?
January, with 17.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 109 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Forks itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Forks 1 E, WA (2 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.