What is the hottest month at Mount Rainier?

August, with an average high of 76°F and an average low of 46°F at Longmire (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). The station averages 6 days a year at or above 90°F.

How cold does Mount Rainier get in winter?

December is the coldest month, averaging a low of 25°F and a high of 36°F at Longmire. About 157 nights a year drop to freezing or below.

Does it snow at Mount Rainier?

Yes. Longmire averages 143.0 inches of snow a year, mostly in January, February, March, April, May, November and December. Higher ground in the park gets more.

When is the rainy season at Mount Rainier?

November is the wettest month on average (13.0 inches of precipitation at Longmire); the station's annual total is 82.6 inches.

How many hours of daylight does Mount Rainier get?

About 15h 51m on June 15 and 8h 33m on December 15 (sunrise 5:12 AM, sunset 9:03 PM in June; 7:45 AM to 4:19 PM in December, America/Los Angeles time).

What is the best month to visit Mount Rainier for weather?

By NOAA's normals, average highs sit between 55°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September. Of those, May, June and September are also well below the park's peak crowds. Weather in the park varies with elevation; this is the Longmire station.

Weather by month

Mount Rainier weather, month by month

Last verified October 6, 2026NOAA 1991–2020 normalsAmerica/Los Angeles time

Average highs, lows, rain, snow and daylight for every month. Measured at the Longmire (2,762 ft, 0 mi from Longmire Museum) — with Paradise (5,400 ft) below, because the park's weather changes with elevation.

A fan-shaped waterfall cascades over lava cliffs with a rainbow in its mist. — Photo: NPS Photo / E. Brouwer

Aug high: 76°F; hottest month
Dec low: 25°F; coldest month
Rain + snowmelt: 82.6in / yr; wettest: Nov
Snowfall: 143.0in / yr; Nov–May
Days ≥ 90°F: 6/ yr
Nights ≤ 32°F: 157/ yr

Longmire

Month by month

Normals are 30-year averages (1991–2020). Crowds = each month’s share of the park’s busiest month, from NPS visitor counts. Sunrise and sunset are for the 15th of each month in 2027.

Average high and low, every monthbars run from the low to the high · tan strip = precipitation

Month	High	Low	Rain	Snow	Wet days	Sunrise	Sunset	Daylight	Crowds
Jan	37°	26°	11.4″	32.7″	21	7:48 AM	4:45 PM	8h 57m	6
Feb	40°	26°	8.6″	19.2″	17	7:11 AM	5:31 PM	10h 19m	4
Mar	45°	28°	7.5″	25.4″	20	7:20 AM	7:12 PM	11h 52m	6
Apr	51°	31°	5.9″	9.7″	19	6:19 AM	7:54 PM	13h 35m	7
May	60°	37°	4.8″	2.1″	17	5:32 AM	8:34 PM	15h 02m	20
Jun	66°	42°	3.7″	0.1″	14	5:12 AM	9:03 PM	15h 51m	53
Jul	75°	46°	1.2″	—	7	5:28 AM	8:58 PM	15h 31m	100
Aug	76°	46°	1.5″	—	7	6:04 AM	8:18 PM	14h 14m	95
Sep	69°	42°	3.5″	—	10	6:44 AM	7:20 PM	12h 35m	56
Oct	55°	35°	9.0″	0.9″	17	7:25 AM	6:21 PM	10h 56m	32
Nov	43°	29°	13.0″	18.6″	20	7:09 AM	4:33 PM	9h 24m	7
Dec	36°	25°	12.4″	34.3″	20	7:45 AM	4:19 PM	8h 33m	5

Sweet spot: May, June and September combine average highs between 55°F and 85°F with crowds under 60% of the peak month. Check what is open in those months — quiet can also mean closed roads.

Also measured at

Paradise (5,400 ft)

Paradise, the most-visited area and one of the snowiest places measured in the U.S.. 5,427 ft, 0.3 mi from Henry M Jackson Memorial Visitor Center.

Month	High	Low	Rain	Wet days
Jan	35°	24°	17.2″	—
Feb	34°	23°	12.9″	—
Mar	36°	24°	13.2″	—
Apr	40°	26°	8.3″	—
May	48°	33°	5.1″	—
Jun	54°	37°	3.8″	—
Jul	62°	44°	1.4″	—
Aug	64°	45°	1.6″	—
Sep	57°	41°	4.4″	—
Oct	46°	33°	11.3″	—
Nov	37°	26°	18.2″	—
Dec	33°	22°	18.9″	—

How to read this

These are NOAA’s official 1991–2020 climate normals for one weather station, not a model of the whole park. The station is the one with complete temperature and precipitation normals nearest to a visitor center (we chose Longmire because it is Longmire visitor area). Highs and lows are daily averages for the month; “wet days” are days with at least 0.01 inch of precipitation. Mountain parks can be 10–20 °F cooler at their high points than at the station, and the NPS weather page for Mount Rainier is the place for current conditions and seasonal closures.

Sunrise and sunset are computed with the NOAA solar equations for the park’s coordinates and shown in America/Los Angeles time for the 15th of each month of 2027; they are accurate to about a minute.

Sources · 3

1.U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 — monthly normals station inventory · National Centers for Environmental Information (NOAA)
2.Mount Rainier National Park — Weather (nps.gov) · National Park Service
3.Mount Rainier National Park — Visitor Use Statistics · National Park Service (IRMA)

FAQ

Mount Rainier weather questions

What is the hottest month at Mount Rainier?: August, with an average high of 76°F and an average low of 46°F at Longmire (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). The station averages 6 days a year at or above 90°F.
How cold does Mount Rainier get in winter?: December is the coldest month, averaging a low of 25°F and a high of 36°F at Longmire. About 157 nights a year drop to freezing or below.
Does it snow at Mount Rainier?: Yes. Longmire averages 143.0 inches of snow a year, mostly in January, February, March, April, May, November and December. Higher ground in the park gets more.
When is the rainy season at Mount Rainier?: November is the wettest month on average (13.0 inches of precipitation at Longmire); the station's annual total is 82.6 inches.
How many hours of daylight does Mount Rainier get?: About 15h 51m on June 15 and 8h 33m on December 15 (sunrise 5:12 AM, sunset 9:03 PM in June; 7:45 AM to 4:19 PM in December, America/Los Angeles time).
What is the best month to visit Mount Rainier for weather?: By NOAA's normals, average highs sit between 55°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September. Of those, May, June and September are also well below the park's peak crowds. Weather in the park varies with elevation; this is the Longmire station.

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