Garfield, WA climate
Garfield has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Garfield feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Garfield 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 | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 25° | 2.6" | 13.1" | 10 | 21° – 37° |
| February | 41° | 26° | 1.9" | 7.6" | 9 | 23° – 41° |
| March | 49° | 30° | 2.2" | 3.1" | 10 | 32° – 45° |
| April | 56° | 34° | 1.9" | 1.3" | 9 | 40° – 52° |
| May | 65° | 41° | 2.0" | 0.2" | 8 | 48° – 58° |
| June | 72° | 46° | 1.4" | 0 | 7 | 55° – 66° |
| July | 83° | 50° | 0.6" | 0 | 4 | 59° – 71° |
| August | 84° | 49° | 0.5" | 0 | 3 | 61° – 70° |
| September | 74° | 42° | 0.8" | 0 | 4 | 54° – 63° |
| October | 59° | 35° | 1.7" | 0.2" | 8 | 41° – 54° |
| November | 44° | 29° | 2.5" | 5.2" | 11 | 28° – 44° |
| December | 36° | 25° | 2.7" | 10.6" | 10 | 24° – 35° |
| Year | 58° | 36° | 20.7" | 41.3" | 93 |
“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 Garfield
Garfield gets 21 inches of rain and melted snow a year. December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year.
About 126 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first one by September 21. That leaves about 126 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 96% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Garfield
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Garfield, 97% of that work is heating and 3% 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 Garfield 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 Garfield averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°). The shift is larger than in 78% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Garfield’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 23° to 41°. September is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Common questions about Garfield’s climate
What is the coldest month in Garfield?
December, with a typical high of 36° and a low of 25°.
What is the hottest month in Garfield?
August, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 49°. About 17 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Garfield get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Garfield?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 21, and the last spring frost by May 15.
What is the rainiest month in Garfield?
December, with 2.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 21 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Garfield itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Potlatch 3 Nne, ID (14 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.