How Many Sunny Days A Year Does Spokane Have?
When people describe Washington State, the words “rainy” and “gray” are often used. The sporadic coastal weather of major cities like Seattle or Tacoma are considered the norm for the entire state. However, at over 70,000 square miles, the weather across Washington is as diverse as the landscapes. So, at the other end of the state, how many sunny days a year does Spokane, WA have?
![How Many Sunny Days Does Spokane Have?](https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/DJI_0680.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=8c06c56f72de9f57c057c85e904cfed5 320w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/DJI_0680.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=74ee70f91ed423d57484a745f26a1683 540w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/DJI_0680.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=b905b7bb36bca2edc71799e6b2b26daf 768w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/DJI_0680.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=f257538b6b4fbcb6212d25cdb7de63f0 1024w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/DJI_0680.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=d08985592f5a1da6a18e974b3e31296e 1200w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/DJI_0680.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=3b67d02880a4c0394446f5b766554a6a 1440w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/DJI_0680.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=1d2c13439f5392d508b74308df3636b3 1920w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/DJI_0680.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=2560&s=17a12457e1620f10d909e9bee85e5a67 2560w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/DJI_0680.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=3840&s=86dcd61ef45892ff414d417a1bff5571 3840w)
What is The Weather Like in Spokane, WA?
Officially, Spokane has a warm summer continental climate, simply meaning the area has comfortably warm summers and high precipitation over winter.
The best time of year to visit Spokane, WA is in the temperate summer months, from June to September. Over this season, the average temperatures often have highs in the mid-80s and lows in the 40-50 range. With only 1 or 2 days of rain on average each month, summers in Spokane are gorgeous, ensuring any trip you make will be packed with days in the great outdoors!
Winters in Spokane are similar to the Washington State average, at around 30-40 degrees. The cold months of the region see more precipitation than summers, although the rain shadow effect from the surrounding cascades keeps Spokane drier than other major cities like Seattle.
![Beautiful weather in Spokane WA](https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/BenMatthews-1010698-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=56ed7eee9f90af17d0b6527cd053cbb5 320w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/BenMatthews-1010698-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=6c73abdc99ccab93bb40df2918915641 540w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/BenMatthews-1010698-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=3c66e46b3e19cd8bd7bb351eb1fde62d 768w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/BenMatthews-1010698-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=df478a84a8d59c26533855dcc998609b 1024w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/BenMatthews-1010698-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=303fe507ada8e17aaeca222538c742c8 1200w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/BenMatthews-1010698-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=e3d3fb48a144ecf5157632881ec5276c 1440w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/BenMatthews-1010698-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=56fe4d4ae326bc62dec1bc3d165fb349 1920w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/BenMatthews-1010698-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=2560&s=afae6cf7dd3269f532e48c8b7f0d98e8 2560w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/BenMatthews-1010698-2.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=3840&s=7632f245eed71afedd8edcc6b2ee7887 3600w)
The Number of Sunny Days Per Year in Spokane
Spokane receives 171 days of sunshine on average every year. Most of the rainy days in the region happen during the winter months, with summers having the most sun-filled days of all the seasons.
While Spokane is just behind the national average of 205 sunny days per year, it beats out Seattle, WA which has only 152 days of sun per year!
Due to so many sunny days with low yearly precipitation, many consider Spokane to have one of the best climates in all the Pacific Northwest.
While coastal destinations may offer the year-round monotony of constant 65 degree days, the beauty of a city like Spokane which has four distinct seasons cannot be overstated.
How Much Rain Does Spokane, WA Get Every Year?
Every year, Spokane gets an average of 17 inches of rain. This is far below the national rain average of 38 inches per year. In Seattle, Washington the annual rainfall is 37 inches, almost exactly the national average.
So despite the common misconceptions about Washington and rain, you can expect to get less rain in Spokane than most other cities in the United States!
![How Many Snow Days in spokane?](https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/Copy-of-20191219-Snow-Day-View-LKamrowski-1001.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=320&s=64bbecc0e921e2eb9081683faffd2367 320w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/Copy-of-20191219-Snow-Day-View-LKamrowski-1001.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=540&s=9f8143288e967c7d1831e57d33260893 540w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/Copy-of-20191219-Snow-Day-View-LKamrowski-1001.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=768&s=09152cd60bd6922de5a0cfda71593936 768w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/Copy-of-20191219-Snow-Day-View-LKamrowski-1001.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1024&s=1de3c785301724835db67d9f5fd8a008 1024w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/Copy-of-20191219-Snow-Day-View-LKamrowski-1001.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1200&s=9349efe5471e09435bcb994d6770e215 1200w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/Copy-of-20191219-Snow-Day-View-LKamrowski-1001.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1440&s=e24a59196cc698ffa34c58b6723fd1a5 1440w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/Copy-of-20191219-Snow-Day-View-LKamrowski-1001.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=1920&s=512644f36aaf40b9a196a53c93ffceed 1920w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/Copy-of-20191219-Snow-Day-View-LKamrowski-1001.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=2560&s=afcadc2e705a6707dd89eda5dacdca59 2560w, https://visitspokane.imgix.net/images/outdoors/Copy-of-20191219-Snow-Day-View-LKamrowski-1001.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&fit=max&position=50%2050&q=80&w=3840&s=e3d589eb4ec7ccaffc626270a0fd4dff 3840w)
How Much Snow Does Spokane Get Every Year?
Winters in Spokane are far wetter than other months, receiving a total of 44 inches of snow every year. Many of Spokane's cloudy days happen over this season and is one of the main reasons why the region is slightly below national averages for total sunny days. However, don’t let the clouds get you down, snowy days in Spokane can truly be magical, painting the streets with a soft blanket of white, transforming the area into a winter wonderland.
Many residents and visitors alike come to the area specifically for the snow, as the surrounding winter skiing and snowboarding are some of the best in the state! Ski resorts like Mt Spokane or Silver Mountain thrive from the high annual snowfall and are packed with fresh powder for the visiting skiers.