Weather StoryAlmanac, microseasons, and the day's weather story.

Tacoma, Washington Weather

Fireweed Ignites. Day 14 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Tacoma weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar

Tacoma, WA
Saturday, July 4 at 4:07 PM
71
°
Clear
Feels like
72°
Humidity
49%
Wind
5 mph
Sunrise
10:20 PM
Sunset
2:08 PM
Tacoma, WA
Hour by hour · 24h
24-Hour ForecastTacoma, WA: 24-hour forecast. Temperatures range from 53 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
L 53°H 72°
Tacoma, WA
7-day forecast
  1. Today
    Jul 4
    Overcast
    —
    —
    72°55°—
  2. Sunday
    Jul 5
    Overcast
    —
    —
    72°53°0°
  3. Monday
    Jul 6
    Overcast
    —
    —
    86°54°+14°
  4. Tuesday
    Jul 7
    Overcast
    —
    —
    84°51°-2°
  5. Wednesday
    Jul 8
    Light Drizzle
    —
    0.01″
    73°56°-11°
  6. Thursday
    Jul 9
    Partly Cloudy
    —
    —
    80°48°+7°
  7. Friday
    Jul 10
    Clear
    —
    —
    87°52°+7°
Tacoma, WA
Next 24 hours · Mild now
48°62°76°12p6p12a6anow 71°high 72°low 53°
Tacoma, WA
Anemometer · 24h winds · from true
NESW
From · True
WNW
285° · backing 24°
Direction
WNW
285°
Sustained
5
mph
Gust
7
mph
Peak 24h
12
avg 5
Beaufort · 2 · LIGHT BRZ
0
CALM
<1
1
LIGHT AIR
1–3
2
LIGHT BRZ
4–7
3
GENTLE BRZ
8–12
4
MOD BRZ
13–18
5
FRESH BRZ
19–24
6
STRONG BRZ
25–31
7
NEAR GALE
32–38
24h · sust vs gust · mph
avg 5 · pk 12 @ 8:00p
01020MPHB1B2B3B4B5-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOWpk 2011SUSTGUST
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
A whisper of wind — leaves barely shift on the trees.
Tacoma, WA
Barometer · 24h pressure · mb
STORMRAINCHANGEFAIRDRY9901000101010201030
Pressure · mb
1006.7
-1.3 mb in 3h · falling · 29.73 inHg
Now
1006.7
mb
3h
-1.3
mb
12h
+1.0
mb
24h
+1.5
mb
Regime · RAIN
STORM
RAIN
CHANGE
FAIR
DRY
24h · Pressure · mb
range 1005–1008
1000STORM|RAIN10051010RAIN|CHG1015CHG|FAIR-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOW1008.01005.11006.7
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Pressure giving way — clouds thicken and rain edges closer.
Tacoma, WA
Air quality
23
AQI
Good
→+1 in 6h

AQI 23 (Good), driven by Ozone. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±3 points). Ozone at AQI 33 — peak already passed at 1 PM under partly cloudy skies. Levels should ease through evening.

OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.

PM 2.5Good
2.8μg/m³
PM 10Good
4μg/m³
NO₂Good
1μg/m³
OzoneDRIVERModerate
69μg/m³
UV IndexModerate
4.5

What's driving it

Ozone × UV × Sky

Ozone at AQI 33 — peak already passed at 1 PM under partly cloudy skies. Levels should ease through evening.

Present
AQI 33
UV peak
4.0 at earlier today
Sky at peak
partly cloudy
Projected peak
AQI 33

Trends

Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.

Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).

7-DAY AQI TREND50100SATSUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISAT7-DAY PM2.5 TREND · μg/m³300
Tacoma, WA
Sky cover · visibility · 24h
Cloud cover
0%
CLEAR
100%0%−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Visibility
77.1mi
UNLIMITED
78 mi0 mi−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Earth · GOES-19 ABI
Full Disk · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 full disk Visible · GeoColor
True-color daytime, blue/IR sandwich at night
23:07 UTC · Tacoma, WA · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · up to 10848 px
Continental US · GOES-19 ABI
CONUS Sector · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 CONUS Visible · GeoColor
Daytime true-color, blue-light/IR sandwich at night
23:07 UTC · Tacoma, WA · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · 5-min cadence · up to 10000 px
Tacoma, WA
Satellite · infrared · animated
Tacoma, WA
Loading IR frames…
IR · cloud-top temp© RainViewer · Carto
Tacoma, WA
Almanac · Saturday, July 4
If the first of July be rainy weather, 'twill rain more or less for four weeks together.
Civil dawn
4:41 AM
Sunrise
10:20 PM
Daylight
15h 48m
Sunset
2:08 PM
Civil dusk
9:49 PM
Planting note
Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.
Tacoma, WA
The moon
Waning Gibbous
78% illuminated
Moonrise
11:18 PM
Moonset
10:13 AM
In sign
♓︎ Pisces
Tacoma, WA
Microseason
Jul 1–5

Fireweed Ignites

fish
Jan 151% of the yearDec 31

Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Tacoma at a glance

  • Today vs. normal: 7°F above the seasonal normal for this latitude
  • Last frost: May 29 (climatological average for this latitude)
  • Microseason: Jul 1–5
  • Planting window: Harvest early potatoes. Begin drying onions on the surface.

ZIP codes: 98402, 98403, 98404, 98405, 98406, 98407, 98408, 98409 +12 more

16-Day Forecast — Tacoma

  1. Sat72°55°2%
  2. Sun72°53°0%
  3. Mon86°54°0%
  4. Tue84°51°0%
  5. Wed73°56°6%
  6. Thu80°48°1%
  7. Fri87°52°3%
  8. Sat87°54°6%
  9. Sun93°61°5%
  10. Mon96°60°6%
  11. Tue88°57°5%
  12. Wed80°51°1%
  13. Thu95°55°0%
  14. Fri96°62°0%
  15. Sat102°62°0%
  16. Sun94°63°0%

Forecast data from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).

Live wind & temperature near Tacoma

Right now in the garden

Peak growing season

As of July 4, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.

January 1–5: The Year's Deep Silence.January 6–10: The First Pressure Shift.January 11–15: The Lengthening.January 16–20: The Crows Begin.January 21–25: Skunk Cabbage Wakens.January 26–31: The Fog Deepens.February 1–5: The Sap Stirs.February 6–10: East Wind Weakens the Marine Layer.February 11–15: Thrush Song at First Light.February 16–20: The Salmon Remember.February 21–25: The Soil Awakens.February 26–28: Mist Begins to Linger.March 1–5: The Buds Emerge.March 6–10: The Small Lives Stir.March 11–15: The Spring Salmon Peak.March 16–20: Alder Catkins Dust the Air.March 21–25: Equinox Fog Clears.March 26–31: Salmonberry First Bloom.April 1–5: Thunder Rolls Down the Valleys.April 6–10: Swallows Arrive at the Bridges.April 11–15: Geese Turn Their Faces North.April 16–20: Rainbows Arc Above the Cascades.April 21–25: Reeds Rise from the Wetlands.April 26–30: Frost Releases the Garden.May 1–5: Warblers Flood the Canopy.May 6–10: Frogs Sing at Twilight.May 11–15: Earthworms Rise to Feed the Forest.May 16–20: Shoots and Sprouts Rise in Ranks.May 21–25: Silkworm Days—Full Canopy.May 26–31: Safflower Days—Late May Blooms.June 1–5: Rufous Hummingbirds Arrive.June 6–10: Oceanspray Towers.June 11–15: Solstice Light Crests.June 16–20: Thimbleberry Sweetens.June 21–25: Summer Solstice Stillness.June 26–30: Dry Pattern Deepens.July 1–5: Fireweed Ignites.July 6–10: Peak Hummingbird Wars.July 11–15: Red Huckleberry Ripens.July 16–20: Smoke Season Beckons.July 21–25: Dog Days Hold.July 26–31: Smoke Deepens.August 1–5: August Arrives Dimmed.August 6–10: Cool Wind Hints Return.August 11–15: Cicadas Crescendo.August 16–20: Marine layer deepens.August 21–25: First sweater morning.August 26–31: August snap arrives.September 1–5: Rivers quicken with silver.September 6–10: Dew settles thick.September 11–15: Raptors funnel through passes.September 16–20: Equinox—darkness gains.September 21–25: Fog locks the valleys.September 26–30: Geese stage southward.October 1–5: Mushroom flush deepens.October 6–10: Maples ignite orange.October 11–15: Frost's first mark.October 16–20: Oaks turn russet.October 21–25: First killing frost.October 26–31: Atmospheric rivers arrive.November 1–5: Maple and ivy turn to amber.November 6–10: Last leaves cling in quiet rain.November 11–15: First frost finds the lowlands.November 16–20: Bare branches open the winter sky.November 21–25: Heavy rains mask the stars.November 26–30: North wind clears the gloom.December 1–5: Darkness settles early.December 6–10: Winter cold locks the sky.December 11–15: The days reach their minimum.December 16–20: Ice forms at the margins.December 21–25: The sun turns at solstice.December 26–31: Year's end in silence.🌱February 14 — First skunk-cabbage spathes thaw their way up☀️March 20 — Spring equinox — day and night balance🌸April 5 — Cherry blossoms peak in the parks🐦May 10 — Warbler migration peaks along the coast✨May 25 — First fireflies scout the meadows at dusk🌞June 21 — Summer solstice — longest day🦗July 25 — Peak cicada chorus in the afternoons🌊August 18 — Warmest sea-surface temperatures of the year🍂September 22 — Autumn equinox — the slow turn❄️October 25 — First widespread frost in the suburbs🍁November 10 — Peak leaf color across the Hudson Valley🌙December 21 — Winter solstice — longest night

Microseason · July 1–5

Fireweed Ignites

Magenta fireweed spires surge from burned and cleared slopes, their blooms climbing from base upward. July's signature color claims the disturbed ground.

Day 185 of 365 · Wedge 37 of 72

The solar year drawn as a wheel of 72 five-day windows. Each wedge is one microseason; the four colored arcs mark winter, spring, summer, and autumn; the small icons sit at notable phenological events. The crimson pointer creeps clockwise as the year turns.

Planting calendar

MonthPlantHarvest
January——
February——
March——
April——
Maylettuce, peas, spinach, radisheslettuce, peas, radishes
Junelettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
Julytomatoes, peppers, beans, squashtomatoes, beans, summer squash
Augusttomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
Septemberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
October—winter squash, tomatoes (last)
November——
December——

A year in weather

August is Tacoma's warmest stretch (~69°F) and January its coldest (~40°F); precipitation crests in January at 7.2 inches and ebbs in July to 0.4 inches.

MonthMean tempPrecipRainy days
January40°7.2″22
February41°5.3″19
March44°5.2″22
April49°3.6″20
May56°2.4″19
June61°1.9″17
July68°0.4″7
August69°0.7″7
September61°1.9″13
October53°5.3″20
November45°7.2″23
December40°6.9″22

Regional context

Tacoma's climate, from NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 station normals, pairs 40°F Januarys with 68°F Julys — a 28°F swing. About 48.1 inches of precipitation falls over roughly 213 days a year.

Cool-season fronts carry Tacoma's rain: January logs 7.2 inches on 22.0 days, against July's 0.4 inches on 7.4 — winter does the heavy lifting in Tacoma. It is a winter-storm rhythm Tacoma shares with places like Fircrest, WA, Browns Point, WA and Ruston, WA.

The cool-season window in Tacoma starts at late-May, when nights stop freezing — think peas, lettuce, spinach, and radishes. In Tacoma, warm-season transplants — tomatoes, peppers, basil — wait two weeks past Tacoma's frost date. Around early-October, freezing nights resume in Tacoma and tender crops must come in. In Tacoma, low spots run 4-7°F colder than nearby slopes, nudging Tacoma's frost dates a week.

Similar climates: Fircrest, WA, Browns Point, WA, Ruston, WA, Waller, WA, University Place, WA.

Naturalist notes

Pacific rhododendrons burst into bloom across Tacoma's landscape during late spring, their pink and white flowers marking the season's progression.

American robins begin their dawn chorus earlier each morning through May, signaling longer daylight hours and warming soil temperatures.

Frequently asked

When does it freeze in Tacoma?
Frost typically leaves Tacoma by mid-May and returns to Tacoma near mid-October.
What is the rainy season in Tacoma?
Rainfall in Tacoma peaks in January near 7.2 inches, out of about 48 inches annually.
What is the warmest month in Tacoma?
Tacoma peaks in August, when the mean runs near 69°F.
What is the coldest month in Tacoma?
January is Tacoma's coldest month, averaging about 40°F.
When can I start a vegetable garden in Tacoma?
In Tacoma, sow peas and hardy greens around mid-May; Tacoma's tomatoes and peppers wait two weeks more.
How many rainy days does Tacoma get?
Tacoma averages about 213 days with measurable rain or snow each year.
What hardiness zone is Tacoma?
Because Tacoma bottoms near 40°F in January, that winter low sets Tacoma's USDA zone — verify by ZIP.
What is the 10-day forecast for Tacoma?
Tacoma's extended outlook — daily high and low temperatures and precipitation chances for each upcoming day — is in the daily forecast above.
Will it rain this week in Tacoma?
See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Tacoma in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
What is the weather like right now in Tacoma?
Current conditions for Tacoma and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
How often is the Tacoma forecast updated?
The Tacoma forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
When are sunrise and sunset in Tacoma?
Today's sunrise and sunset times for Tacoma are in the Almanac section above, along with civil dawn, civil dusk, and day length. Day length is longest near the summer solstice and shortest near the winter solstice.
How accurate is the weather forecast for Tacoma?
The next few days in Tacoma's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.

Climate

Set in a warm-summer Mediterranean zone, Tacoma, Washington swings from 40°F in the heart of winter to 68°F at midsummer — a 28°F arc.

In a typical year Tacoma records about 48 inches of precipitation on around 213 days.

Tacoma's 28°F range, set by its 47.2°N position, drives frost timing and what thrives in Tacoma.

All cities in Washington →

Seattle, WA weather →

ZIP codes in Tacoma

  • 98422
  • 98403
  • 98404
  • 98405
  • 98408
  • 98409
  • 98402
  • 98406
  • 98407
  • 98466
  • 98465
  • 98416
  • 98418
  • 98444
  • 98421
  • 98401
  • 98411
  • 98412
  • 98413
  • 98415
  • 98417
  • 98419
  • 98448
  • 98471
  • 98481
  • 98490

Climate normals from the Open-Meteo Climate API. Köppen approximation from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Regions. See methodology for data sources, editorial rules, and corrections. Maintainer: Brian Tighe.