Orchards, Washington Weather
Rufous Hummingbirds Arrive. Day 78 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Orchards weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 4Overcast——67°51°—
- FridayJun 5Light Drizzle13%0.02″60°48°-7°
- SaturdayJun 6Rain93%0.35″56°43°-4°
- SundayJun 7Overcast——65°40°+9°
- MondayJun 8Rain65%0.29″67°47°+2°
- TuesdayJun 9Light Rain60%0.21″68°50°+1°
- WednesdayJun 10Overcast51%—69°43°+1°
AQI 38 (Good), driven by PM2.5. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±4 points). PM2.5 at 8.8 µg/m³, PM10 at 10.7 µg/m³ — typical background levels with no transport signature.
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
What's driving it
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5 at 8.8 µg/m³, PM10 at 10.7 µg/m³ — typical background levels with no transport signature.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.82
- Wind
- light
- Recent rain
- 0h in last 6h
- Pattern
- background
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).
The higher the clouds, the finer the weather.
- Moonrise
- 7:29 AM
- Moonset
- 5:08 PM
- In sign
- ♒︎ Aquarius
Rufous Hummingbirds Arrive
Orchards at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 13°F below the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: May 20 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jun 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest spring lettuce before it bolts. Sow heat-tolerant greens.
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of June 5, 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.
SPC Convective Outlook
Storm Prediction Center — Orchards
SPC has placed Orchards in the General Thunderstorms category for severe thunderstorms day after tomorrow.
- TODAYNONENo severe risk
- TOMORROWNONENo severe risk
- DAY 3TSTMGeneral Thunderstorms
Thunderstorms possible. Not severe, but capable of producing lightning and brief heavy rain.
Source: NOAA / NWS Storm Prediction Center categorical convective outlook. Outlooks are re-issued multiple times per day; this page reflects the most recent SPC polygons covering the city’s coordinates.
Planting calendar
| Month | Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| January | — | — |
| February | — | — |
| March | — | — |
| April | — | — |
| May | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| June | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| July | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| August | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| September | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| October | — | winter squash, tomatoes (last) |
| November | — | — |
| December | — | — |
A year in weather
Orchards's warmest month is August (~69°F mean) and its coldest is January (~41°F). Rainfall peaks in December (6.1 inches) and bottoms out in July (0.4 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 5.3″ | 13 |
| February | 43° | 3.8″ | 10 |
| March | 47° | 4.0″ | 11 |
| April | 52° | 2.9″ | 8 |
| May | 58° | 2.5″ | 7 |
| June | 63° | 1.6″ | 5 |
| July | 69° | 0.4″ | 1 |
| August | 69° | 0.5″ | 2 |
| September | 64° | 1.4″ | 4 |
| October | 54° | 3.4″ | 8 |
| November | 46° | 5.5″ | 12 |
| December | 41° | 6.1″ | 13 |
Regional context
Orchards sits within a warm-summer Mediterranean climate region — a cohort that shares similar temperature ranges, seasonal patterns, and growing conditions across nearby cities.
Similar climates: Seattle, WA, Spokane, WA, Kennewick, WA, Bremerton, WA, Tacoma, WA.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in Orchards?
- Orchards's last spring frost typically falls around mid-May, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-October.
- What is the rainy season in Orchards?
- December is the wettest month with about 6.1 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 37 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in Orchards?
- August is typically warmest, averaging about 69°F.
- What is the coldest month in Orchards?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 41°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Orchards?
- Cool-season crops (peas, lettuce) can be sown around the last spring frost (mid-May); warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers) wait until 1–2 weeks after.
- How many rainy days does Orchards get?
- Orchards averages about 94 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is Orchards?
- Orchards's USDA hardiness zone is determined by its lowest average winter temperature; check the USDA's online lookup with the city ZIP for the current zone designation.
Climate
Orchards, Washington sits in a warm-summer Mediterranean climate zone. January means hover near 41°F while July averages 69°F — a 28°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, Orchards receives about 37 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 94 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (45.7°N), proximity to large water bodies, and elevation — all of which shape what grows here, when frost is likely, and what the weather story looks like day to day.