Cost to Own
United StatesWashingtonColumbia CountyClimate Station DAYTON 1 WSW, WA US Distance 4.6 mi Normals 1991–2020

30-year climate normals

Columbia County Climate and Weather Averages

Hottest month — July

87.6°

average daily high. The coldest month is January, averaging a low of 26.4°F.

Columbia County gets 18.79" of precipitation a year and 15.8" of snow, and 36% of it falls in Nov, Dec, Jan.

Temperature through the year

Each bar spans the average daily low to the average daily high for that month.

40° 60° 80° JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
MonthAvg highAvg low PrecipSnow
January 41.5° 26.4° 2.08" 6.3"
February 46.2° 28.2° 1.72" 1.9"
March 53.9° 33.0° 2.24" 1.0"
April 61.1° 37.8° 1.86" 0.1"
May 69.9° 44.5° 1.80" 0.0"
June 76.8° 49.9° 1.24" 0.0"
July 87.6° 54.9° 0.39" 0.0"
August 86.7° 54.2° 0.45" 0.0"
September 77.2° 47.2° 0.73" 0.0"
October 62.9° 38.0° 1.54" 0.1"
November 49.3° 31.0° 2.43" 1.2"
December 40.7° 26.5° 2.31" 5.2"

Rainfall by month

Precipitation is spread fairly evenly through the year here, with 36% falling in the wettest three months (Nov, Dec, Jan).

January 2.08"
February 1.72"
March 2.24"
April 1.86"
May 1.80"
June 1.24"
July 0.39"
August 0.45"
September 0.73"
October 1.54"
November 2.43"
December 2.31"
Annual total 18.79"

What this climate costs you

Degree days measure how hard a building has to work to stay comfortable. They are the reason two identical houses have very different power bills, and they are the link between the weather here and what you pay every month.

Cooling degree days How much air conditioning the climate demands 564
Heating degree days How much heating the climate demands 5,622
Approximate annual cooling cost At 14.95¢/kWh, Washington average $84
Approximate annual electric heating cost Lower where heating is gas rather than electric $294

These are rough planning figures from degree days and the state electricity price, not a bill estimate. House size, insulation and fuel type move them a lot. See the full cost of owning a home in Columbia County, where electricity is one line of eight.

Common questions

What is the weather like in Columbia County?

Columbia County averages a high of 87.6°F in July and a low of 26.4°F in January. Annual precipitation is 18.79 inches, including 15.8 inches of snow.

When is the rainy season in Columbia County?

The wettest stretch is Nov, Dec, Jan, which accounts for 36% of the year's precipitation. Precipitation is relatively evenly distributed across the year.

How hot does it get in Columbia County?

The average daily high in July, the hottest month, is 87.6°F. That drives 564 cooling degree days a year, which is what your air conditioning has to work against.

Does it snow in Columbia County?

Yes. Columbia County averages 15.8 inches of snow a year.

Sources

  • Temperature, precipitation and snowfall normals — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 Monthly Climate Normals, station DAYTON 1 WSW, WA US (USC00452030), 4.6 miles from the county centroid.
  • Heating and cooling degree days — NOAA, same station and period.
  • Electricity price — US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, Washington residential average.
  • Wet-season share is the wettest three consecutive months as a percentage of annual precipitation, calculated from the monthly normals.