Puget Sound Weather
Growing conditions across the lowlands. Six stations, daily resolution, built for people who grow things.
Data through March 13, 2026
Station Comparison
Sorted by cumulative growing degree days (base 32°F). Click any station for full detail.
| Station | GDD₃₂ | Soil 2 in | Frost Nights | Spray Days | Precip YTD | Snow YTD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seattle Seattle / UW | 876.7 | 38.1°F | 4 | 21 | 11.79" | 4.4" | → | |
| Olympia Olympia / Tumwater | 810.1 | 37.8°F | 17 | 25 | 15.08" | 6.2" | → | |
| Bellingham Bellingham / Whatcom | 808.3 | 40.3°F | 8 | 24 | 15.58" | 5.1" | → | |
| Kent Kent / Auburn | 798.1 | 36.7°F | 13 | 25 | 12.85" | 9.5" | → | |
| Sequim Sequim / Rain Shadow | 789.8 | 38°F | 4 | 26 | 11.77" | 7.9" | → | |
| Tacoma Tacoma / Puyallup | 785 | 37.2°F | 18 | 22 | 14.69" | 12.3" | → |
Season Progress
Cumulative GDD₃₂ by station, year to date. The spread between lines shows how the season varies across the corridor. Learn more →
Soil Temperature
Daily soil temperature at 2-inch depth. The colored bands mark planting thresholds: below 40°F (too cold for most planting), 40-50°F (cool-season crops), above 50°F (warm-season activation). Learn more →
Frost Events
Every night the temperature dropped below 32°F, by station. Color indicates severity: light frost (28-32°F), moderate (24-28°F), hard (<24°F). Learn more →
Precipitation
Daily rainfall (bars) and cumulative total (line) for each station. In a maritime climate, the question isn't whether it will rain, but when the dry season actually starts. Watch the cumulative lines flatten as summer approaches: that inflection point is when irrigation planning matters. Learn more →
Chill Hours
Cumulative hours below 45°F since January 1. Deciduous fruit trees need a minimum number of chill hours to break dormancy and set fruit properly. Most apples need 800-1,200 hours; many cherries need 700-900; low-chill peaches can fruit with as few as 200-400. If your station hasn't hit the threshold for your variety, expect delayed bloom, poor fruit set, or both. Learn more →
Dew Point & Disease Risk
Daily average dew point across the network. Dew point is the best single predictor of leaf wetness, which drives fungal disease. When dew points consistently stay above 55°F while air temperatures are in the 60-80°F range, conditions favor apple scab, powdery mildew, black spot, and most other foliar pathogens. The amber zone (50-55°F) is the "watch" threshold; above 55°F is active risk. Learn more →
Water Balance
Cumulative precipitation vs. evapotranspiration (ET). ET is the combined water lost through soil evaporation and plant transpiration: the invisible demand side of your water budget. When the ET line crosses above precipitation, rainfall can no longer keep up with water loss, and that's your signal to start irrigating. In most Puget Sound years, this crossover happens between mid-June and early July. Learn more →
Sunshine Hours
Daily sunshine duration by station, shown as a 7-day rolling average to smooth the day-to-day noise. Sunshine drives photosynthesis, fruit ripening, and plant vigor. The contrast across the network tells an important story: Sequim's rain shadow consistently logs more sunshine than Olympia, even though they're at similar latitudes. That difference shows up in bloom timing, fruit quality, and disease pressure. Learn more →
Monthly Summary
Month-by-month breakdown for Kent. See station detail pages for full per-station summaries.
| Month | Low | High | Precip | Snow | Frost | Spray | GDD₃₂ | Sun hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23.1° | 59° | 5.69" | 1.2" | 7 | 11 | 309.1 | 140 |
| Feb | 28° | 59.1° | 4.57" | 5" | 6 | 10 | 315.3 | 153.4 |
| Mar | 32° | 58.9° | 2.59" | 3.4" | 0 | 4 | 173.7 | 39.5 |
Data from the HortGuide station network via Open-Meteo. Six stations spanning the Puget Sound lowlands from Olympia to Bellingham. Your microclimate varies. Updated daily.