Climate · Kirkland

Kirkland, WA climate

Kirkland has mild winters and cool summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 36°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
76°
214th coolest of 639 Washington towns
January low
36°
44th mildest of 639 Washington towns
Rain + melted snow
37 in
264th driest of 639 Washington towns
Snow a winter
4 in
251st least snowy of 581 Washington towns
A normal year

What a year in Kirkland feels like

Winter

48° / 36°
Typical high / low · 2 days with an inch or more of snow

Spring

60° / 42°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Mar 8

Summer

74° / 54°
Typical high / low · 2 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

61° / 45°
Typical high / low · First frost around Nov 23
Best months to be outsideMayJunJulAugSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Kirkland weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January47°36°5.0" 0.9"191 37° – 46°
February50°36°3.5" 1.0"161 36° – 48°
March54°38°4.0" 0180 42° – 51°
April59°42°2.9" 0160 46° – 56°
May66°47°2.0" 0120 52° – 61°
June70°52°1.6" 0110 58° – 66°
July76°55°0.8" 050 62° – 70°
August76°56°0.9" 060 62° – 69°
September71°52°1.6" 090 58° – 64°
October60°45°3.7" 0150 50° – 58°
November52°39°5.6" 0.2"190 42° – 50°
December46°36°5.3" 1.7"201 37° – 44°
Year61°44°36.8"3.8"1632

“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 & snow

Rain and snow in Kirkland

Kirkland gets 37 inches of rain and melted snow a year. November is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 163 days a year.

37 in
Rain + melted snow a year
Less rain than 61% of U.S. towns
4 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 80% of U.S. towns
2 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
Fewer than 76% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
5.6"

Snowfall by month

Inches of snow
1.7"
Frost & the growing season

About 259 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 8 and the first one by November 23. That leaves about 259 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 92% of U.S. towns.

25
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
0
nights below 0° in a normal year
2
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Kirkland

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Kirkland, 96% of that work is heating and 4% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.

96%heating
4,483 heating degree daysLess heating than 74% of U.S. towns
211 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 96% of U.S. towns

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.

Around Kirkland

Kirkland and its neighbors

Kirkland borders 8 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 1.0°. Woodinville has the coldest January nights (36°) and Yarrow Point the hottest July afternoons (77°). Kirkland’s January low is 36° and its July high 76°.

Lake Forest Park: January low 36°, July high 75°Bainbridge Island: January low 36°, July high 76°Mercer Island: January low 37°, July high 77°Tukwila: January low 36°, July high 77°Boulevard Park: January low 37°, July high 77°White Center: January low 36°, July high 76°Bryn Mawr-Skyway: January low 36°, July high 77°Medina: January low 37°, July high 77°Burien: January low 36°, July high 76°Vashon: January low 36°, July high 77°Shoreline: January low 36°, July high 75°Hunts Point: January low 37°, July high 77°Union Hill-Novelty Hill: January low 36°, July high 75°Sammamish: January low 36°, July high 76°Cottage Lake: January low 36°, July high 75°Beaux Arts Village: January low 36°, July high 77°Issaquah: January low 36°, July high 77°Newcastle: January low 36°, July high 77°Bothell West: January low 36°, July high 75°Bothell East: January low 36°, July high 75°Maltby: January low 35°, July high 74°Kenmore: January low 36°, July high 76°Seattle: January low 37°, July high 77°Yarrow Point: January low 37°, July high 77°Redmond: January low 36°, July high 76°Woodinville: January low 36°, July high 75°Bellevue: January low 36°, July high 76°Bothell: January low 36°, July high 76°Clyde Hill: January low 37°, July high 77°Kirkland: January low 36°, July high 76° KirklandKenmoreSeattleYarrow PointRedmondWoodinvilleBellevueBothellClyde Hill
ColderMilder35° to 37°
Woodinville35.8° −0.4°
Redmond36.0° −0.2°
Bothell36.0° −0.2°
Kirkland36.2°
Kenmore36.2° same
Bellevue36.2° same
Seattle36.8° +0.6°
Yarrow Point36.8° +0.6°
Clyde Hill36.8° +0.6°

Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.

Compared with other towns

How Kirkland compares

Summer heat76° July high
Cooler than 98% of U.S. towns214th coolest of 639 Washington towns
Winter cold36° January low
Milder than 90% of U.S. towns44th mildest of 639 Washington towns
Precipitation37" a year
Drier than 61% of U.S. towns264th driest of 639 Washington towns
Snow4" a winter
Less snow than 80% of U.S. towns251st least snowy of 581 Washington towns
Growing season259 frost-free days
Longer than 92% of U.S. towns9th longest of 631 Washington towns

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+1.0°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Kirkland averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.4°). The shift is smaller than in 68% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.0° now 42°, was 41°
🌷 Spring+0.9° now 51°, was 50°
☀️ Summer+1.5° now 64°, was 63°
🍂 Fall+0.7° now 53°, was 52°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Kirkland’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

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°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Kirkland’s climate

What is the coldest month in Kirkland?

December, with a typical high of 46° and a low of 36°.

What is the hottest month in Kirkland?

August, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 56°. About 2 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Kirkland get?

About 4 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.

When is the first frost in Kirkland?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 23, and the last spring frost by March 8.

What is the rainiest month in Kirkland?

November, with 5.6 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 37 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Kirkland itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Seattle Sand Pt WSFO, WA (2 mi) away. Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

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