Weather StoryAlmanac, microseasons, and the day's weather story.

Olympia, Washington Weather

August Arrives Dimmed. Day 43 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Olympia weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar

Olympia, WA
Sunday, August 2 at 7:57 AM
58
°
Overcast
Feels like
57°
Humidity
82%
Wind
4 mph
Sunrise
10:52 PM
Sunset
1:42 PM
Olympia, WA
Hour by hour · 24h
24-Hour ForecastOlympia, WA: 24-hour forecast. Temperatures range from 51 to 73 degrees Fahrenheit.
L 51°H 73°
Olympia, WA
7-day forecast
  1. Today
    Aug 2
    Overcast
    12%
    —
    73°52°—
  2. Monday
    Aug 3
    Clear
    —
    —
    80°51°+7°
  3. Tuesday
    Aug 4
    Overcast
    —
    —
    92°49°+12°
  4. Wednesday
    Aug 5
    Overcast
    —
    —
    98°53°+6°
  5. Thursday
    Aug 6
    Overcast
    —
    —
    96°56°-2°
  6. Friday
    Aug 7
    Overcast
    —
    —
    83°53°-13°
  7. Saturday
    Aug 8
    Partly Cloudy
    —
    —
    85°52°+2°
Olympia, WA
Next 24 hours · Cool now
45°63°80°12p6p12a6anow 55°high 73°low 51°PRECIP %
Olympia, WA
Anemometer · 24h winds · from true
NESW
From · True
SW
234° · veering 7°
Direction
SW
234°
Sustained
4
mph
Gust
9
mph
Peak 24h
20
avg 8 mph
Beaufort · 2 · LIGHT BRZ
0
CALM
<1
1
LIGHT AIR
1–3
2
LIGHT BRZ
4–7
3
GENTLE BRZ
8–12
4
MOD BRZ
13–18
5
FRESH BRZ
19–24
6
STRONG BRZ
25–31
7
NEAR GALE
32–38
24h · sust vs gust · mph
avg 8 mph · pk 20 mph @ 10:00a
01020MPHB1B2B3B4B5-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOWpk 131SUSTGUST
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Light breeze veering 7° from the sw.
Olympia, WA
Barometer · 24h pressure · mb
STORMRAINCHANGEFAIRDRY9901000101010201030
Pressure · mb
1022.5
-0.4 mb in 3h · steady · 30.19 inHg
Now
1022.5
mb
3h
-0.4
mb
12h
+0.5
mb
24h
+3.2
mb
Regime · FAIR
STORM
RAIN
CHANGE
FAIR
DRY
24h · Pressure · mb
range 1019–1023
1010RAIN|CHG1015CHG|FAIR10201025FAIR|DRY1030-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOW1022.41018.61021.8
Fair, steady air — a quiet anticyclone holds the sky.
Olympia, WA
Air quality
21
AQI
Good
→-2 in 6h

AQI 21 (Good), driven by PM2.5. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±3 points).

OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.

PM 2.5DRIVERGood
3.9μg/m³
PM 10Good
6μg/m³
NO₂Good
2μg/m³
OzoneGood
44μg/m³
UV IndexLow
0.2

Trends

Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.

Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).

7-DAY AQI TREND50100SUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISATSUN7-DAY PM2.5 TREND · μg/m³300
Olympia, WA
Sky cover · visibility · 24h
Cloud cover
82%
MOSTLY CLOUDY
100%0%−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Visibility
33.8mi
UNLIMITED
83 mi0 mi−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Earth · GOES-19 ABI
Full Disk · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 full disk Visible · GeoColor
True-color daytime, blue/IR sandwich at night
14:57 UTC · Olympia, WA · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · up to 10848 px
Continental US · GOES-19 ABI
CONUS Sector · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 CONUS Visible · GeoColor
Daytime true-color, blue-light/IR sandwich at night
14:57 UTC · Olympia, WA · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · 5-min cadence · up to 10000 px
Olympia, WA
Satellite · infrared · animated
Olympia, WA
Loading IR frames…
IR · cloud-top temp© RainViewer · Carto
Olympia, WA
Almanac · Sunday, August 2
Red sky at night, sailor's delight.
Civil dawn
5:18 AM
Sunrise
10:52 PM
Daylight
14h 50m
Sunset
1:42 PM
Civil dusk
9:20 PM
Planting note
Sow fall peas. Start kale and collard seedlings for fall.
Olympia, WA
The moon
Waning Gibbous
84% illuminated
Moonrise
9:57 PM
Moonset
10:24 AM
In sign
♓︎ Pisces
Olympia, WA
Microseason
Aug 1–5

August Arrives Dimmed

plant
Jan 159% of the yearDec 31

Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Olympia at a glance

  • Today vs. normal: 3°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
  • Last frost: May 28 (climatological average for this latitude)
  • Microseason: Aug 1–5
  • Planting window: Sow fall peas. Start kale and collard seedlings for fall.

ZIP codes: 98501, 98502, 98505, 98506, 98512, 98513, 98516

16-Day Forecast — Olympia

  1. Sun73°52°12%
  2. Mon80°51°0%
  3. Tue92°49°0%
  4. Wed98°53°0%
  5. Thu96°56°0%
  6. Fri83°53°0%
  7. Sat85°52°0%
  8. Sun80°51°1%
  9. Mon85°51°1%
  10. Tue88°54°1%
  11. Wed85°53°1%
  12. Thu85°54°3%
  13. Fri90°54°3%
  14. Sat81°53°3%
  15. Sun80°54°6%
  16. Mon83°57°6%

Forecast data from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).

Live wind & temperature near Olympia

Right now in the garden

Peak growing season

As of August 2, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.

Sun & seasons in Olympia

Olympia sits in Thurston County, where the year’s longest day runs 15h 54m of daylight and its shortest just 8h 30m — a swing of +7h 24m between the June and December solstices. Clocks spring forward on Sunday, March 8, 2026 and fall back on Sunday, November 1, 2026.

Seattle, the state’s largest city, lies about 48 miles to the NNE. The nearest town Olympia tracks is Tacoma, roughly 25 miles to the NE.

Air quality in Olympia’s county has trended dirtier since 2020; its cleanest year on record was 2021 (median AQI 19). See the full air-quality history for Olympia.

January 1–5: The Year's Deep Silence.January 6–10: The First Pressure Shift.January 11–15: The Lengthening.January 16–20: The Crows Begin.January 21–25: Skunk Cabbage Wakens.January 26–31: The Fog Deepens.February 1–5: The Sap Stirs.February 6–10: East Wind Weakens the Marine Layer.February 11–15: Thrush Song at First Light.February 16–20: The Salmon Remember.February 21–25: The Soil Awakens.February 26–28: Mist Begins to Linger.March 1–5: The Buds Emerge.March 6–10: The Small Lives Stir.March 11–15: The Spring Salmon Peak.March 16–20: Alder Catkins Dust the Air.March 21–25: Equinox Fog Clears.March 26–31: Salmonberry First Bloom.April 1–5: Thunder Rolls Down the Valleys.April 6–10: Swallows Arrive at the Bridges.April 11–15: Geese Turn Their Faces North.April 16–20: Rainbows Arc Above the Cascades.April 21–25: Reeds Rise from the Wetlands.April 26–30: Frost Releases the Garden.May 1–5: Warblers Flood the Canopy.May 6–10: Frogs Sing at Twilight.May 11–15: Earthworms Rise to Feed the Forest.May 16–20: Shoots and Sprouts Rise in Ranks.May 21–25: Silkworm Days—Full Canopy.May 26–31: Safflower Days—Late May Blooms.June 1–5: Rufous Hummingbirds Arrive.June 6–10: Oceanspray Towers.June 11–15: Solstice Light Crests.June 16–20: Thimbleberry Sweetens.June 21–25: Summer Solstice Stillness.June 26–30: Dry Pattern Deepens.July 1–5: Fireweed Ignites.July 6–10: Peak Hummingbird Wars.July 11–15: Red Huckleberry Ripens.July 16–20: Smoke Season Beckons.July 21–25: Dog Days Hold.July 26–31: Smoke Deepens.August 1–5: August Arrives Dimmed.August 6–10: Cool Wind Hints Return.August 11–15: Cicadas Crescendo.August 16–20: Marine layer deepens.August 21–25: First sweater morning.August 26–31: August snap arrives.September 1–5: Rivers quicken with silver.September 6–10: Dew settles thick.September 11–15: Raptors funnel through passes.September 16–20: Equinox—darkness gains.September 21–25: Fog locks the valleys.September 26–30: Geese stage southward.October 1–5: Mushroom flush deepens.October 6–10: Maples ignite orange.October 11–15: Frost's first mark.October 16–20: Oaks turn russet.October 21–25: First killing frost.October 26–31: Atmospheric rivers arrive.November 1–5: Maple and ivy turn to amber.November 6–10: Last leaves cling in quiet rain.November 11–15: First frost finds the lowlands.November 16–20: Bare branches open the winter sky.November 21–25: Heavy rains mask the stars.November 26–30: North wind clears the gloom.December 1–5: Darkness settles early.December 6–10: Winter cold locks the sky.December 11–15: The days reach their minimum.December 16–20: Ice forms at the margins.December 21–25: The sun turns at solstice.December 26–31: Year's end in silence.🌱February 14 — First skunk-cabbage spathes thaw their way up☀️March 20 — Spring equinox — day and night balance🌸April 5 — Cherry blossoms peak in the parks🐦May 10 — Warbler migration peaks along the coast✨May 25 — First fireflies scout the meadows at dusk🌞June 21 — Summer solstice — longest day🦗July 25 — Peak cicada chorus in the afternoons🌊August 18 — Warmest sea-surface temperatures of the year🍂September 22 — Autumn equinox — the slow turn❄️October 25 — First widespread frost in the suburbs🍁November 10 — Peak leaf color across the Hudson Valley🌙December 21 — Winter solstice — longest night

Microseason · August 1–5

August Arrives Dimmed

Smoke persists. Nights fall noticeably earlier—sunset shifts 3 minutes earlier than June's solstice. Resinous fir and cedar scent hangs thick.

Day 214 of 365 · Wedge 43 of 72

The solar year drawn as a wheel of 72 five-day windows. Each wedge is one microseason; the four colored arcs mark winter, spring, summer, and autumn; the small icons sit at notable phenological events. The crimson pointer creeps clockwise as the year turns.

Planting calendar

MonthPlantHarvest
January——
February——
March——
April——
Maylettuce, peas, spinach, radisheslettuce, peas, radishes
Junelettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
Julytomatoes, peppers, beans, squashtomatoes, beans, summer squash
Augusttomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
Septemberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
October—winter squash, tomatoes (last)
November——
December——

A year in weather

Olympia peaks at about 64°F in August and bottoms near 39°F in December; November brings the heaviest rain (8.2 inches) and July the least (0.5 inches).

MonthMean tempPrecipRainy days
January40°7.8″14
February41°5.1″11
March44°5.7″13
April48°3.7″10
May55°2.3″7
June59°1.5″4
July64°0.5″2
August64°1.0″2
September59°2.0″5
October50°5.1″10
November43°8.2″14
December39°7.8″14

Regional context

Drawing on NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals, Olympia's January averages 40°F and July 64°F — 25°F apart — while precipitation totals roughly 50.6 inches over some 105 days.

Cool-season fronts carry Olympia's rain: November logs 8.2 inches on 14.3 days, against July's 0.5 inches on 1.7 — winter does the heavy lifting in Olympia. That cool-season-wet pattern aligns Olympia with places like Tumwater, WA, Lacey, WA and Tanglewilde, WA.

Olympia's growing window opens around late-May, once Olympia's overnight lows stop freezing — sow peas, lettuce, spinach, and radishes. In Olympia, warm-season transplants — tomatoes, peppers, basil — wait two weeks past Olympia's frost date. It shuts near early-October, when freezes return to Olympia and tender plants need cover. Within Olympia, cold-air pooling chills low spots by 5-10°F, shifting Olympia's local frost dates.

Similar climates: Tumwater, WA, Lacey, WA, Tanglewilde, WA, Nisqually Indian Community, WA, Anderson Island, WA.

Naturalist notes

Pacific madrone trees begin their distinctive bark shedding in late May, revealing smooth reddish-brown inner bark beneath the peeling outer layers.

American robins start their second nesting cycle around mid-May, with males resuming territorial singing after completing their first brood of the season.

Frequently asked

When does it freeze in Olympia?
Olympia's last spring frost lands near mid-May, and in Olympia the first fall frost follows around mid-October.
What is the rainy season in Olympia?
November is the wettest month in Olympia, about 8.2 inches on average; the year totals roughly 51 inches.
What is the warmest month in Olympia?
On average August tops the year in Olympia at about 64°F.
What is the coldest month in Olympia?
The coldest stretch in Olympia falls in December, around 39°F on average.
When can I start a vegetable garden in Olympia?
Around mid-May, start frost-hardy crops in Olympia; tomatoes and basil belong a fortnight later.
How many rainy days does Olympia get?
Expect roughly 105 wet days a year in Olympia.
What hardiness zone is Olympia?
With December around 39°F, Olympia's zone reflects that minimum — the USDA ZIP map confirms Olympia's band.
What is the 10-day forecast for Olympia?
Olympia's extended outlook — daily high and low temperatures and precipitation chances for each upcoming day — is in the daily forecast above.
Will it rain this week in Olympia?
See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Olympia in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
What is the weather like right now in Olympia?
Current conditions for Olympia and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
How often is the Olympia forecast updated?
The Olympia forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
When are sunrise and sunset in Olympia?
Today's sunrise and sunset times for Olympia are in the Almanac section above, along with civil dawn, civil dusk, and day length. Day length is longest near the summer solstice and shortest near the winter solstice.
How accurate is the weather forecast for Olympia?
The next few days in Olympia's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.

Climate

Set in a warm-summer Mediterranean zone, Olympia, Washington swings from 40°F in the heart of winter to 64°F at midsummer — a 24°F arc.

In a typical year Olympia records about 51 inches of precipitation on around 105 days.

Olympia sits at 47.0°N; that 24°F seasonal swing frames planting windows and frost dates across Olympia.

All cities in Washington →

Seattle, WA weather →

ZIP codes in Olympia

  • 98502
  • 98501
  • 98506
  • 98504
  • 98507
  • 98508

Climate normals from the Open-Meteo Climate API. Köppen approximation from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Regions. See methodology for data sources, editorial rules, and corrections. Maintainer: Brian Tighe.