Fort Lewis, WA Climate

Fort Lewis, WA is a fairly temperate area with mild summers and cool winters. The average temperature in the summer months is around 70°F while temperatures in the winter typically stay near 40°F. The area enjoys an abundance of sunshine throughout the year, although some precipitation does occur during the winter months. Precipitation averages about 32 inches per year, with snowfall occurring in some years. With warm days and cool nights, Fort Lewis offers a pleasant climate all year round for outdoor activities.

Fort Lewis, Washington gets 48 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Fort Lewis averages 6 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 138 sunny days per year in Fort Lewis. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Fort Lewis gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 156 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.

Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 77 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 35
Rain: averages 48 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 6 inches of snow a year

Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Fort Lewis is 7.2 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in Washington.

9.2 Summer - 5.3 Winter

August, July and September are the most pleasant months in Fort Lewis, while December and January are the least comfortable months.

Climate	Fort Lewis, Washington	United States
	47.6 in.	38.1 in.
	6.2 in.	27.8 in.
	155.7 days	106.2 days
	138 days	205 days
	77.0°	85.8°
	35.4°	21.7°
	7.2	7
	2.6	4.3
	301 ft.	2443 ft.

Climate

YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

August is the hottest month for Fort Lewis with an average high temperature of 77.4°, which ranks it as about average compared to other places in Washington. In Fort Lewis, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Fort Lewis are August, July and September.

In Fort Lewis, there are 3.7 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is about average compared to other places in Washington.

December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Fort Lewis with an average of 34.2°. This is warmer than most places in Washington.

In Fort Lewis, there are 43.7 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Washington.

In Fort Lewis, there are 0.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in Washington.

Humidity in Fort Lewis is generally quite low and comfortable. There are few days during the summer when the humidity becomes unpleasant. The most humid months (but still comfortable) are August, July and September.

November is the wettest month in Fort Lewis with 7.9 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 0.8 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 40% of yearly precipitation and 8% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 47.6 inches in Fort Lewis means that it is wetter than most places in Washington.

November is the rainiest month in Fort Lewis with 19.7 days of rain, and August is the driest month with only 4.6 rainy days. There are 155.7 rainy days annually in Fort Lewis, which is about average compared to other places in Washington. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 34% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 12% chance of a rainy day.

An annual snowfall of 6.2 inches in Fort Lewis means that it is about average compared to other places in Washington. February is the snowiest month in Fort Lewis with 2.1 inches of snow, and 5 months of the year have significant snowfall.