Seattle, Washington · winter 2026-27

Chill hours in Seattle this winter

Chill hours so far (45°F model)4040 hours at or below 45°F since 1 November, to Nov 8. Same date last winter: 26. Station: Seattle Sand Pt Wfo, 10.7 km away.
Last winter (2025-26)
1,181
1 Nov to 28 Feb
By this date last winter
26
1 Nov to Nov 8
Hours 32–45°F so far
40
the 0–45°F model leaves out freezing hours
Coldest month last winter
January
367 chill hours

Chill hours accumulated since 1 November

Hours at or below 45°F, running total. Grey: last winter; clay: this winter so far.

02004006008001,0001,200NovDecJanFeb2025-26: 1,181 h40 h so far
02004006008001,0001,200NovDecJanFeb2025-26: 1,181 h40 h so far
  • Winter 2026-27
  • Winter 2025-26
View as table
MonthChill hours (≤ 45°F)
November 2025173
December 2025316
January 2026367
February 2026325
Total1,181
Source: NOAA NCEI GHCN-Daily, station USW00094290; hours estimated from each day's high and low.

Fruit trees need a set number of cold hours in winter before they bloom well. Nurseries rate varieties by it: low-chill varieties need roughly 100 to 400 hours, many peaches and plums 500 to 900, and most apples and sweet cherries 800 to 1,200 or more. Your variety's rating is the number to compare with the 1,181 hours Seattle had last winter.

Chill hours here are hours at or below 45°F, estimated hour by hour from the station's daily high and low. Checked against measured hourly air temperature at 39 NOAA reference stations last winter, the estimate was within 1.9% of the measured count at the median station. How it is checked.

Chill hours nearby

Each from a different station.

CityDistanceChill hours so farLast winter
Maple Valley, WA32 km431,335
Tacoma, WA40 km421,397
Everett, WA43 km571,552
Arlington, WA68 km571,552
Olympia, WA76 km791,690
Oak Harbor, WA80 km601,535

Questions

How many chill hours has Seattle had this winter?
40 hours at or below 45°F from 1 November to Nov 8, 2026, estimated from the daily highs and lows at the Seattle Sand Pt Wfo station.
How many chill hours did Seattle get last winter?
1,181 hours from 1 November to 28 February (2025-26).
Which chill model is this?
The simple 45°F model: every hour at or below 45°F counts. The 32 to 45°F count, which leaves out hours below freezing, is shown as well.

Data: Global Historical Climatology Network - Daily (GHCN-Daily), daily maximum and minimum temperature (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)); GeoNames gazetteer (cities15000) (GeoNames).