Best time to visit North Cascades National Park
The short answer
Best months to visit North Cascades National Park: July–August. Daily highs run around 75°F, with visitor numbers near the yearly peak (July).
Hardest months: November–February, mostly because of cold weather.
How we picked these months: each month is scored on daily highs (65–82°F is ideal), rain, snow and seasonal closures, then reduced by up to 30% for crowds, measured against the park's busiest month. We list the months within 15% of the top score (at most 5).
Weather and crowds by month
North Cascades National Park month by month
Park-wide averages across 5 locations. Crowds compare each month with the park's busiest month: Quiet is under 35% of it, Moderate under 60%, Busy under 85%, Peak above that.
| Month | Rating | High / low | Rain | Snow | Crowds | Closures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Poor | 34° / 24°F | 1.2 in | 67.9 in | Quiet | – |
| February | Poor | 33° / 21°F | 0.9 in | 59.3 in | Quiet | – |
| March | Poor | 40° / 26°F | 0.9 in | 46.9 in | Quiet | – |
| April | Poor | 46° / 30°F | 1.1 in | 26.1 in | Quiet | – |
| May | Poor | 57° / 38°F | 2.0 in | 5.9 in | Quiet | – |
| June | Poor | 63° / 44°F | 2.4 in | 1.4 in | Quiet | – |
| July | Best | 73° / 50°F | 1.2 in | – | Peak | – |
| August | Best | 74° / 52°F | 1.5 in | – | Busy | – |
| September | Fair | 64° / 45°F | 3.3 in | 1.3 in | Busy | – |
| October | Poor | 52° / 36°F | 4.8 in | 21.1 in | Quiet | – |
| November | Poor | 38° / 26°F | 4.3 in | 54.1 in | Quiet | – |
| December | Poor | 31° / 21°F | 1.3 in | 73.5 in | Quiet | – |
Weather by location
Parks with a big range of elevation can differ a lot from one area to another. Open a location to see its own numbers.
Park-wide (center of the park)
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33°F | 22°F | 2.5 in | 68.3 in |
| February | 32°F | 20°F | 1.9 in | 60.2 in |
| March | 39°F | 25°F | 1.9 in | 48.9 in |
| April | 45°F | 29°F | 2.0 in | 24.6 in |
| May | 56°F | 37°F | 2.8 in | 3.8 in |
| June | 62°F | 42°F | 3.0 in | – |
| July | 70°F | 48°F | 1.3 in | – |
| August | 71°F | 49°F | 1.6 in | – |
| September | 62°F | 43°F | 4.2 in | – |
| October | 50°F | 35°F | 7.7 in | 10.5 in |
| November | 37°F | 25°F | 6.8 in | 48.6 in |
| December | 30°F | 19°F | 2.2 in | 78.2 in |
Ross Lake & Diablo Lake
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40°F | 29°F | 2.7 in | 75.5 in |
| February | 39°F | 27°F | 1.8 in | 66.1 in |
| March | 46°F | 32°F | 1.9 in | 55.2 in |
| April | 52°F | 36°F | 2.1 in | 28.8 in |
| May | 63°F | 43°F | 2.9 in | 4.7 in |
| June | 69°F | 50°F | 3.5 in | – |
| July | 77°F | 55°F | 1.6 in | – |
| August | 79°F | 56°F | 1.9 in | – |
| September | 69°F | 50°F | 4.8 in | – |
| October | 57°F | 41°F | 7.8 in | 13.5 in |
| November | 44°F | 31°F | 7.6 in | 54.9 in |
| December | 37°F | 26°F | 2.5 in | 82.0 in |
Cascade Pass
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27°F | 17°F | 0.3 in | 76.9 in |
| February | 26°F | 14°F | 0.2 in | 67.6 in |
| March | 33°F | 19°F | 0.3 in | 50.5 in |
| April | 38°F | 24°F | 0.5 in | 31.7 in |
| May | 48°F | 32°F | 1.5 in | 8.6 in |
| June | 55°F | 37°F | 2.2 in | 2.7 in |
| July | 65°F | 44°F | 1.2 in | – |
| August | 66°F | 45°F | 1.6 in | – |
| September | 57°F | 38°F | 3.0 in | 2.4 in |
| October | 44°F | 29°F | 3.1 in | 32.3 in |
| November | 31°F | 19°F | 2.9 in | 64.3 in |
| December | 24°F | 14°F | 0.7 in | 80.2 in |
Rainy Pass
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29°F | 19°F | 0.2 in | 70.0 in |
| February | 27°F | 16°F | 0.1 in | 59.5 in |
| March | 34°F | 21°F | 0.2 in | 46.0 in |
| April | 40°F | 25°F | 0.3 in | 28.1 in |
| May | 51°F | 34°F | 1.3 in | 7.8 in |
| June | 58°F | 39°F | 1.8 in | 2.7 in |
| July | 68°F | 47°F | 1.2 in | – |
| August | 69°F | 48°F | 1.4 in | – |
| September | 59°F | 40°F | 2.6 in | 2.7 in |
| October | 46°F | 31°F | 2.5 in | 31.3 in |
| November | 32°F | 21°F | 2.3 in | 61.1 in |
| December | 26°F | 16°F | 0.6 in | 73.7 in |
Stehekin
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42°F | 31°F | 0.3 in | 49.0 in |
| February | 41°F | 29°F | 0.3 in | 43.2 in |
| March | 48°F | 34°F | 0.4 in | 33.9 in |
| April | 55°F | 39°F | 0.4 in | 17.2 in |
| May | 65°F | 46°F | 1.2 in | 4.7 in |
| June | 73°F | 52°F | 1.5 in | 1.3 in |
| July | 83°F | 58°F | 0.8 in | – |
| August | 84°F | 60°F | 0.9 in | – |
| September | 74°F | 53°F | 1.8 in | 1.1 in |
| October | 60°F | 44°F | 3.1 in | 18.0 in |
| November | 46°F | 34°F | 2.1 in | 41.7 in |
| December | 39°F | 29°F | 0.6 in | 53.2 in |
North Cascades National Park by season
Spring (March–May)
Spring (March–May) is a difficult time to visit North Cascades National Park. Daily highs average 40–57°F and lows 26–38°F. Expect about 1.3 in of rain a month and 26.3 in of snow, with up to 97 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 1–13% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards.
Summer (June–August)
Summer (June–August) is a good time to visit North Cascades National Park. Daily highs average 63–74°F and lows 44–52°F. Expect about 1.7 in of rain a month; some snow can linger on the ground. Visitor numbers run 32–100% of the busiest month, which is busy by this park's standards.
Fall (September–November)
Fall (September–November) is a difficult time to visit North Cascades National Park. Daily highs average 38–64°F and lows 26–45°F. Expect about 4.1 in of rain a month and 25.5 in of snow, with up to 19 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 1–76% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards.
Winter (December–February)
Winter (December–February) is a difficult time to visit North Cascades National Park. Daily highs average 31–34°F and lows 21–24°F. Expect about 1.1 in of rain a month and 66.9 in of snow, with up to 88 in on the ground. Visitor numbers run 0–1% of the busiest month, which is quiet by this park's standards.
For what to do in each season, see our guides to trip planning, fees and hours, trails, camping and things to do, where the planning page also has our written advice on when to go. In-depth topic guides cover individual places and hikes.
Seasonal closures
- The North Cascades Visitor Center in Newhalem, and the Golden West Visitor Center in Stehekin, are open late-May-September.
What the National Park Service says about the weather
The best weather for visiting the North Cascades generally occurs between mid-June and late-September. Summer daytime temperatures average in the 70's F. Snow is off most trails by mid-July. Autumn and Spring are popular for color and wildlife. Storms are common: always be prepared for a few days of rain and wind. The east side of the Cascade Mountains (Lake Chelan National Recreation Area) is drier and warmer in the summer than the west side. Summer temperatures at Stehekin reach the 90's F.
Weather: modeled monthly averages for 2014-2023 (Open-Meteo Archive API), averaged over 5 locations. Modeled grid cells can read cooler than weather stations in deep canyons and deserts, and warmer or colder at high elevation. Visits: monthly recreation visits for 2021-2024, National Park Service.
