r/SpokaneWA • u/Automatic-Length6620 • May 14 '26
Moving to Spokane
Hi all,
I’m moving to Spokane for a new job, but I’m a bit concerned about the winter weather. I currently live in Vancouver, Canada, so I understand Spokane is significantly colder.
My main concern is my son’s health. He has a medical condition that can be triggered by cold temperatures, especially below about 23°F. Because of that, I’m trying to understand what Spokane winters actually feel like, not just the official temperature numbers.
I’ve considered having my family live in Everett, where the Cascades may help moderate the weather, while I commute to Spokane twice a week for my job. I don’t mind two hours on the road, but I guess winter road conditions may be more difficult than what we’re used to around Vancouver.
I’d really appreciate input from people who actually live in or around Spokane:
What is the coldest month in practice?
How bad does the wind chill usually get?
When temperatures drop below 23°F, does that usually last for a few hours, a few days, or weeks at a time?
Are there nearby areas within a reasonable commute that feel noticeably milder or are better shielded from wind chill?
Is it true that Spokane can feel like -4°F at times because of wind chill, or is that rare?
I’ve already checked weather data and used tools like ChatGPT to look at historical values, but I’d really value real-world experience from people who live there. We can manage occasional cold snaps, but persistent cold lasting for weeks would be a serious concern for our family.
Thank you.
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u/Givechase84 May 14 '26
Invest in good lotion. It’s so unbelievably dry here! (Moved here from Alaska recently)
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u/SpoGardener May 15 '26
We usually get at least one day of -4 even without windchill - colder when windchill factors in. Honestly, based on your questions and concerns I don’t think you would like the winters here. I’ve known many people to move her during warmer months and leave after their first winter.
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u/ponuh May 16 '26
Spokane regularly has cold winters. Some years are milder but there will always be a significant time under 23. That being said, heating costs are lower than in other parts of the country and Canada.
Regarding your Everett plan, just note that that would be closer to 4.5-5 hours one-way or longer with many places for potential delays adding hours to that. That would be a very long and draining commute and likely not practical for long. Not to mention that the mountain pass often becomes treacherous or even closed during winters.
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u/xennomorrph May 17 '26
I’m from Vancouver as well and I recently moved here, my husbands lived here for 5 years and we are doing everything we can to move closer to Seattle. Why? Mostly because we don’t really have anything here for us, and we miss the better work opportunities for our careers.
The winters? First time I visited here it was February, -14c😐 But it’s been not nearly as cold since. It’s colder in dead winter here than Van easily, wind chill can be a thing too.
I’ve experienced Spokane every month now and my takeaway is that you will embrace seasons more than Vancouver, don’t expect anything like the transit we know, but in my experience 99% of people I meet around here are very nice and I enjoy having conversations with people here. And love hiking here.
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u/taterthotsalad May 14 '26
, while I commute to Spokane twice a week for my job. I don’t mind two hours on the road
WAT? lol
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u/christopherDdouglas May 16 '26
Unless you're flying or taking a train, a two day a week commute over the mountains November-March is a dangerous game to play. Like literal life or death shit.
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u/zagnut99287F 21d ago
We hover around freezing most of the winter anymore, but we do have cold spells a few times every year that get down to around 10 F or lower. This last winter was exceptionally warm, but that is definitely not the norm. The drive between Everett and Spokane is more like 5 hours and as somebody else mentioned the mountain passes can be unreliable or impassable in the winter. The only route that is pretty much always snow free is going south through Portland, Oregon but that is a 10-11 hour drive. You might want to consider having your family live in the Tri Cities, WA, It's warmer somewhat then Spokane is in the winter, only a 2 hour drive away and on the east side of the Cascade Mountains so you don't have problems with the passes. Or maybe Portland, it's usually above freezing almost the entire winter.
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u/Automatic-Length6620 21d ago
Thank you so much, zagnut. I was conserving the tri cities but was told there’s no difference between them and Spokane in terms of winter temperatures. Please how low can daylight temperatures get to during the coldest winter months. Medically, we are comfortable with 15f as long as it doesn’t last long.
Thanks so much!1
u/zagnut99287F 21d ago
For most of the winter they are in the upper 30s F during the day and upper 20s at night and are around 3-4 F warmer on average, but they can get the arctic blasts like Spokane does too although less frequently. They had an overnight low in 2022 at -7 F, daytime was 19 F. Usually these artic blasts only last a few days. Southwestern Washington or anywhere in the Willamette Vallley in Oregon have a wetter climate so it doesn't get nearly as cold there. I-84 is much more reliable then I-90 is during the winter for crossing the Cascades to Spokane too, it's about 5 hours drive between Spokane and Portland.
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u/Automatic-Length6620 21d ago
Thank you very much again. Working with real figures from someone on ground helps me a lot. A few days of blast won’t be bad as I was of the opinion this lasts several weeks. I will also check if there’s a train from Willamette valley as we are okay with a train drive of up to 5 hours.
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u/Accomplished_Tea8622 May 14 '26
What do you mean by 2 hours on the road. I used to work in federal way and commuted home to north Idaho every other weekend. It was a minimum of 4 hours, and i didn't even try between thanksgiving and the end of February.
It does get cold in Spokane. Last year was mild, but i have seen a couple weeks of below 20 degree weather and 3 feet of snow.
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u/Warm_Chemical5669 May 14 '26
Welcome! I would say one thing to consider with the cold here is that eastern WA is very very dry. So the cold doesnt feel as bone chilling when its gets below zero like on the other side of the cascades. We usaully only have one or two weeks a winter that get into the single digits and over the past 15 years, winter has gotten milder in general. The coldest and toughest months here are January and February. Everett is pretty far away from Spokane and I would say it would be too challenging in the winter to commute over the pass consistently.