Climate - Spokane (Washington)

The climate of Spokane is slightly continental. Winters are cold, while summers are warm to hot during the day, but with cool nights.
The city is located in the north-west of the United States, in the eastern part of the state of Washington (therefore to the east of the Cascade Range, in the most continental and arid area of the state), and about 600 meters (2,000 ft) above sea level.
During the winter, sometimes as early as in mid-November, cold spells can occur, in which the temperature drops to -18 °C (0 °F) or below. The temperature dropped to -26.5 °C (-15.5 °F) in January 1979, to -23 °C (-9.5 °F) in January 2004 and to -25 °C (-13 °F) in December 1990. On average, 115 cm (45 in) of snow fall per year.
In summer, the temperature range between night and day is high, so it can sometimes get very cool at night, but at other times it can reach 38/40 °C (100/104 °F) during the day. In June 2015, the temperature reached 42.2 °C (108 °F).
The average temperature of the coldest month (December) is of -2.5 °C (28 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 21.5 °C (71 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation amounts to 420 millimeters (16.5 inches) per year: it is therefore quite scarce. It ranges from 15 mm (0.6 in) in the driest months (July, August, September) to 60 mm (2.4 in) in the wettest ones (November, December). Here is the average precipitation.

On average, there are around 2,575 sunshine hours per year. Summer is a dry and sunny season. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

Best Time

The best times to visit Spokane 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.