Climate - Richland (Washington)

The climate of Richland is arid continental, with cold, relatively rainy winters and hot, sunny summers.
The city is part, together with Kennewick and Pasco, of the so-called Tri-Cities, three cities connected to each other at the confluence of the Yakima, Snake and Columbia rivers. We are in the eastern part of the state of Washington. Since we are practically at sea level and far from the ocean, this is one of the driest areas of the state, and one of the hottest in summer.
In winter, sometimes even in November, cold waves are possible, during which the temperature can drop to -20 °C (-4 °F) or even below. In the nearby airport of Pasco Tri-Cities, the temperature dropped to -24 °C (-11 °F) in November 1985, -22.7 °C (-9 °F) in December 1990, -26.7 °C (-16 °F) in December 1996, -28.3 °C (-19 °F) in January 2004, and -23 °C (-9.5 °F) in December 2016.
Snowfall is quite frequent, but generally not abundant. On average, only 18 cm (7 in) of snow fall per year.
In summer, there are several very hot days. On the hottest days of the year, the temperature generally reaches 39/40 °C (102/104 °F), but sometimes even higher. The temperature soared to 44 °C (111 °F) in August 1998, in July 2006 and in June 2015. In August 1961, at the nearby Ice Harbor Dam, a dam on the Snake River, the highest record of Washington state was set, 48 °C (118 °F).
The average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of 0.9 °C (34 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 24 °C (75 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation amounts to 195 millimeters (7.7 inches) per year: it is therefore at a desert level. It ranges from 5 mm (0.2 in) in the driest months (July, August) to 30 mm (1.2 in) in the wettest ones (January, December). Here is the average precipitation.

Best Time

The best times to visit Richland are spring and autumn, and in particular the months of May and September, to avoid both the winter cold and the summer heat.

Back to the climate of Washington state.