Olympia, Washington Weather
Rufous Hummingbirds Arrive. Day 76 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
Olympia weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 3Overcast11%—70°57°—
- ThursdayJun 4Overcast——65°51°-5°
- FridayJun 5Drizzle74%—63°46°-2°
- SaturdayJun 6Heavy Drizzle66%0.09″56°43°-7°
- SundayJun 7Light Drizzle——67°41°+11°
- MondayJun 8Rain49%0.24″55°47°-12°
- TuesdayJun 9Light Drizzle38%—59°48°+4°
PM2.5/PM10 ratio 0.61 with 10 mph wind — characteristic of long-range haze transport rather than a local source. 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.
What's driving it
Ozone × UV × Sky
Ozone at AQI 43. Overcast through the UV peak window (cloud cover ~76%) — afternoon ozone should stay flat.
- Present
- AQI 43
- UV peak
- 5.3 at 1 PM
- Sky at peak
- overcast
- Projected peak
- AQI 15
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5/PM10 ratio 0.61 with 10 mph wind — characteristic of long-range haze transport rather than a local source.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.61
- Wind
- breezy
- Recent rain
- 0h in last 6h
- Pattern
- transport
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
- 6:38 AM
- Moonset
- 2:46 PM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Rufous Hummingbirds Arrive
Olympia at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 70°F — typical for the season
- Last frost: May 28 (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 3, 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 — Olympia
SPC has placed Olympia 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
August brings Olympia's peak warmth with mean temperatures around 64°F, while December delivers the coldest conditions at roughly 39°F. Rain follows a Mediterranean pattern, with November's heavy downpours averaging 8.2 inches and July's dry spell dropping to just 0.5 inches.
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 7.8″ | 14 |
| February | 41° | 5.1″ | 11 |
| March | 44° | 5.7″ | 13 |
| April | 48° | 3.7″ | 10 |
| May | 55° | 2.3″ | 7 |
| June | 59° | 1.5″ | 4 |
| July | 64° | 0.5″ | 2 |
| August | 64° | 1.0″ | 2 |
| September | 59° | 2.0″ | 5 |
| October | 50° | 5.1″ | 10 |
| November | 43° | 8.2″ | 14 |
| December | 39° | 7.8″ | 14 |
Regional context
Olympia falls within the warm-summer Mediterranean climate zone, sharing similar temperature ranges, seasonal rhythms, and growing conditions with other regional cities.
Similar climates: Seattle, WA, Spokane, WA, Kennewick, WA, Bremerton, WA, Tacoma, 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?
- Spring's final frost usually occurs around mid-May in Olympia, while fall's first frost typically arrives around mid-October.
- What is the rainy season in Olympia?
- November brings the heaviest rainfall, averaging about 8.2 inches, while Olympia receives roughly 51 inches total annually.
- What is the warmest month in Olympia?
- August typically records the warmest temperatures, averaging about 64°F.
- What is the coldest month in Olympia?
- December usually brings the coldest weather, averaging about 39°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in Olympia?
- Cool-season vegetables like peas and lettuce can be planted around the last spring frost in mid-May, but warm-season crops such as tomatoes and peppers should wait 1–2 weeks after.
- How many rainy days does Olympia get?
- Olympia experiences about 105 rainy days per year on average.
- What hardiness zone is Olympia?
- Olympia's USDA hardiness zone depends on its lowest average winter temperatures; use the USDA's online zone lookup tool with the city ZIP code for current zone information.
Climate
Olympia, Washington experiences a warm-summer Mediterranean climate. Winters see January temperatures hovering near 40°F, while summers bring July averages of 64°F — creating a 25°F seasonal swing.
Annual precipitation totals about 51 inches, falling across roughly 105 rainy days throughout the year.
Geography drives Olympia's weather patterns through its latitude of 47.0°N, nearby large water bodies, and local elevation. These factors determine what plants thrive, when frost threatens, and how daily weather unfolds.