Puget Sound Weather
Growing conditions across the lowlands. Six stations, daily resolution, built for people who grow things.
Data through April 3, 2026
Kent: 1110.8 GDD₃₂ +22% vs 6-yr avg
As of April 3, 2026, the Puget Sound lowlands range from 1070 GDD₃₂ at Sequim to 1180.6 GDD₃₂ at Issaquah. Kent, the primary reference station, is 22% ahead of its multi-year average. Soil temperature at Kent is 50.2°F.
Station Comparison
Seven stations across the Puget Sound lowlands. Click any station for full detail.
| Station | GDD₃₂ | Soil 2 in | Frost Nights | Spray Days | Precip YTD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bellingham Bellingham / Whatcom | 1101.1 +19% vs avg | 48.4°F | 8 | 34 | 19.03" | → | |
| Issaquah Issaquah / East King | 1180.6 +24% vs avg | 49.1°F | 12 | 30 | 19.74" | → | |
| Kent Kent / Auburn | 1110.8 +22% vs avg | 50.2°F | 13 | 34 | 15.38" | → | |
| Olympia Olympia / Tumwater | 1106.4 +12% vs avg | 46.9°F | 21 | 35 | 17.71" | → | |
| Seattle Seattle / UW | 1171.2 +15% vs avg | 50.7°F | 4 | 30 | 13.58" | → | |
| Sequim Sequim / Rain Shadow | 1070 +20% vs avg | 45.2°F | 4 | 33 | 13.16" | → | |
| Tacoma Tacoma / Puyallup | 1075 +14% vs avg | 49.1°F | 19 | 30 | 16.98" | → |
Phenological Timing by Station
GDD₃₂ thresholds for 28 indicator species tracking first bloom or bud break, derived from NPN citizen science observations matched to each station's weather history. Green cells have passed threshold this season. Methodology →
| Species | Bellingham | Issaquah | Kent | Olympia | Seattle | Sequim | Tacoma |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ribes sanguineum Red-flowering Currant First Bloom | 1037 | 850 | 832 | — | 939 | 1255 | 852 |
| Cydonia oblonga Quince Bud Break | 1050 | 985 | 930 | — | 1028 | — | — |
| Prunus serrulata Japanese Flowering Cherry First Bloom | — | 1006 | 976 | — | 1100 | — | 1011 |
| Prunus yedoensis Yoshino Cherry Bud Break | — | 1026 | 996 | — | 1124 | — | 1024 |
| Berberis aquifolium Oregon Grape First Bloom | — | 1064 | 998 | 1087 | 1089 | — | 1025 |
| Cornus kousa Kousa Dogwood Bud Break | — | 1085 | 1021 | 1090 | 1109 | — | 1047 |
| Vaccinium corymbosum Highbush Blueberry Bud Break | — | 1085 | 1021 | 972 | 1109 | — | 1047 |
| Acer platanoides Norway Maple First Bloom | — | 1147 | 1112 | — | 1242 | — | 1143 |
| Corylus avellana Common Filbert Bud Break | — | 1181 | 1119 | — | 1284 | — | — |
| Berberis repens Creeping Mahonia Mixed events | 1259 FB | 1235 FB | 1184 FB | — | 1300 FB | 913 FB | 1455 BB |
| Acer rubrum Red Maple Bud Break | — | 1277 | 1211 | — | 1312 | — | — |
| Syringa chinensis Chinese Lilac First Bloom | — | 1240 | 1236 | — | 1351 | — | 1267 |
| Acer circinatum Vine Maple First Bloom | 1466 | 1316 | 1281 | — | 1417 | 1387 | 1325 |
| Syringa vulgaris Common Lilac First Bloom | 1359 | 1307 | 1283 | 1374 | 1387 | 1085 | 1318 |
| Diospyros virginiana Common Persimmon Bud Break | — | 1354 | 1294 | — | 1435 | — | — |
| Cornus canadensis Bunchberry First Bloom | — | 1460 | 1349 | — | 1562 | — | 1437 |
| Aesculus hippocastanum Horse Chestnut First Bloom | — | 1464 | 1420 | — | 1566 | — | 1459 |
| Cercis canadensis var. alba White Redbud First Bloom | — | 1472 | 1433 | — | 1590 | — | 1474 |
| Rhododendron macrophyllum Pacific Rhododendron First Bloom | — | 1518 | 1475 | — | 1621 | — | 1515 |
| Asimina triloba Pawpaw First Bloom | — | 1608 | 1540 | — | 1727 | — | — |
| Gaultheria shallon Salal Mixed events | 1039 BB | 1596 FB | 1544 FB | 1652 BB | 1680 FB | — | 1629 BB |
| Cytisus scoparius Scotch Broom First Bloom | — | 1705 | 1626 | 1733 | 1778 | — | 1652 |
| Cornus sericea Red-osier Dogwood First Bloom | 1572 | 1759 | 1724 | — | 1839 | — | — |
| Prunus virginiana Chokecherry First Bloom | 1174 | 1868 | 1800 | — | 1926 | — | 1803 |
| Hedera helix English Ivy First Bloom | — | 1949 | 1880 | 1987 | 2046 | — | 1907 |
| Symphoricarpos albus Common Snowberry Mixed events | 745 BB | 2515 FB | 2458 FB | — | 2638 FB | 789 BB | 2755 FB |
| Alnus rubra f. pinnatisecta Cutleaf Red Alder Mixed events | 1022 FB | — | — | — | 944 FB | 1644 BB | — |
| Holodiscus discolor Oceanspray Mixed events | 2631 FB | — | — | — | 747 BB | 3062 FB | — |
Data: USA National Phenology Network (CC BY 4.0). Thresholds computed per-station from local weather histories. Hover cells for observation counts. Full methodology →
Season Progress
Cumulative GDD₃₂ by station, year to date, with Kent's 6-year history for context. The dashed gold line is Kent's 2020-2025 average. GDD methodology → Learn more →
Soil Temperature
Daily soil temperature at 2-inch depth. The colored bands mark planting thresholds: below 40°F (too cold for most planting), 40-50°F (cool-season crops), above 50°F (warm-season activation). Learn more →
Frost Events
Every night the temperature dropped below 32°F, by station. Color indicates severity: light frost (28-32°F), moderate (24-28°F), hard (<24°F). Learn more →
Precipitation
Daily rainfall (bars) and cumulative total (line) for each station. In a maritime climate, the question isn't whether it will rain, but when the dry season actually starts. Watch the cumulative lines flatten as summer approaches: that inflection point is when irrigation planning matters. Learn more →
Chill Hours
Cumulative hours below 45°F since January 1. Deciduous fruit trees need a minimum number of chill hours to break dormancy and set fruit properly. Most apples need 800-1,200 hours; many cherries need 700-900; low-chill peaches can fruit with as few as 200-400. If your station hasn't hit the threshold for your variety, expect delayed bloom, poor fruit set, or both. Learn more →
Dew Point & Disease Risk
Daily average dew point across the network. Dew point is the best single predictor of leaf wetness, which drives fungal disease. When dew points consistently stay above 55°F while air temperatures are in the 60-80°F range, conditions favor apple scab, powdery mildew, black spot, and most other foliar pathogens. The amber zone (50-55°F) is the "watch" threshold; above 55°F is active risk. Learn more →
Water Balance
Cumulative precipitation vs. evapotranspiration (ET). ET is the combined water lost through soil evaporation and plant transpiration: the invisible demand side of your water budget. When the ET line crosses above precipitation, rainfall can no longer keep up with water loss, and that's your signal to start irrigating. In most Puget Sound years, this crossover happens between mid-June and early July. Learn more →
Sunshine Hours
Daily sunshine duration by station, shown as a 7-day rolling average to smooth the day-to-day noise. Sunshine drives photosynthesis, fruit ripening, and plant vigor. The contrast across the network tells an important story: Sequim's rain shadow consistently logs more sunshine than Olympia, even though they're at similar latitudes. That difference shows up in bloom timing, fruit quality, and disease pressure. Learn more →
Monthly Summary
Month-by-month breakdown for Kent. See station detail pages for full per-station summaries.
| Month | Low | High | Precip | Frost | Spray | GDD₃₂ | Sun hrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 23.1° | 59° | 5.69" | 7 | 11 | 309.1 | 140 |
| Feb | 28° | 59.1° | 4.57" | 6 | 10 | 315.3 | 153.4 |
| Mar | 32° | 59° | 4.81" | 0 | 12 | 438.1 | 141.2 |
| Apr | 40.9° | 59.7° | 0.31" | 0 | 1 | 48.3 | 16.6 |
Data from the HortGuide station network via Open-Meteo. Six stations spanning the Puget Sound lowlands from Olympia to Bellingham. Your microclimate varies. Updated daily.