Weather

It doesn't rain here as much as you've heard!!!!

We would like to start off by getting the big rain myth out of the way. Bellingham's climate is generally mild and typical of the Pacific Northwest. The US average rainfall is 38 inches per year. Bellingham gets 39 inches per year, so you might be surprised to know that places like Chicago, New York, and Houston all receive more rain than here.
Something about our rain that doesn't get mentioned is that most of the time you probably won't even need an umbrella. Usually, the rain here feels like a light sprinkle, because of the size of the raindrops. There are a lot of locals who pride themselves on not relying on an umbrella. A nice hooded sweatshirt with a rain jacket works perfectly fine.
The season we all look forward to the most is the summertime here! It starts warming up around springtime early May to June. Then its glorious warm summer days and nights with low humidity and the average temperature is around 75 degrees and lasts well into late September.

January

A chilly winter month with the average temperature fluctuating between 32.7°F and 45.7°F

February

The last full month of the winter, but still a frosty month with an average temperature between 33.3 °F  and 48.4°F 

March

The first month of spring. Things start to thaw out even though it is still a cool month. The average temperature is between 36.3°F and 52.2°F

April

A mild spring month with the average temperatures between 39.9°F and 56.8°F 

May

The last full month of spring is a comfortable month, with temperatures in the range of 45.5°F and an average of 62.2°F

June

The first month of summer is a very comfortable month with temperatures between 50.4°F and 66.6°F

July

Is an agreeable summer month, with temperatures in the range of 53.4°F and an average high of 71.2°F

August

The last month of summer is very pleasant. with average temperatures between 53.1°F and 71.8°F 

September

The first month of autumn is also an enjoyable month with the average temperature ranging between 47.7°F and 66.9°F

October

Is a moderate autumn month with an average temperature fluctuating between 41.5°F and 57.9°F

November

The last month of autumn, is a chilly month, with temperatures in the range of 36.7°F and 49.6°F

December

The first month of winter is pretty chilly. The average temperature is between 32°F and 44.2°F

Snow

Bellingham does get a little snow, the average is about  9 inches per year. That’s hardly enough to make a decent snowman, but some years are better than others. December is the snowiest month with 2.6 inches of snow. If it’s going to be cold it might as well snow! Right? When we do get snow it doesn’t last very long and most of the main roads get plowed so life still goes on here pretty much as normal.  Bellingham’s proximity to the Fraser River valley ( thanks to our neighbors to the north) occasionally subjects it to a harsh winter weather pattern that we call  (a ‘north-eastern). It’s when an upper-level system drives cold Arctic air from the Canadian interior southwesterly through the Fraser River Canyon. It’s cold but very manageable. 

Sunshine

Summertime is the living time here. We wait for it all year round. It starts to warm up around late May (Think Memorial Day weekend). The most pleasant months of the year for Bellingham are May through September. On average, there are 157 sunny days per year here which locals cherish. With the weather being so perfect it makes all the outdoor activities here that much more enjoyable. To be outside hiking, kayaking, and camping in warm beautiful scenic areas is a bonus of living in Bellingham. August is the hottest month here with an average high temperature of 72.8° The hottest summer days rarely exceed 90 °F Summers are fresh and relatively dry. 

 

Rain

The Rain. Yes, it rains here but not like what everyone thinks. November is the rainiest month with an average of 19.9 days of rain. The cool thing about the rain here is that it doesn’t stop anyone from doing anything ( except having big hair)! We get our fair share of rain here but how else would we get all the luscious beautiful greenery we are known for in this area. It’s a small sacrifice but it is well worth it. Just take a nice little nature walk to see what all the rain does. 

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