<p>Title question. </p>
<p>I went there in Jan and it was snowing, but everyone kept talking about how it never snows and is always sunny. What exactly is the weather like usually?</p>
<p>The folks in Walla Walla like to say how sunny it is, and they are right, when compared with Western Washington (west of the Cascades). This link will compare Walla Walla climate to the rest of the U.S. (scroll down about half way to get to the charts):
[Walla</a> Walla East, Washington (WA 99362) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, move, moving, houses news](<a href=“http://www.city-data.com/city/Walla-Walla-East-Washington.html]Walla”>http://www.city-data.com/city/Walla-Walla-East-Washington.html)</p>
<p>The hottest and coldest times usually fall when kids are home on winter break and in mid-summer, so in fact the school year weather is ordinarily pretty wonderful. There is a beautiful fall color change (not east coast spectacular but astonishing for someone who grew up on SoCal) and enough snow/ice (maybe 3 weeks worth) so that you need a ski jacket and have to get out of flip flops for awhile–but overall it is not one bit like the stereotype of “Washington” weather about grey skies, which is based on what it can be like in Seattle.</p>
<p>I actually live in Walla Walla, and the weather is pretty nice, mostly. We definitely have 4 distinct seasons, it can get pretty cold in the winter (we had 3 feet of snow at one point this past year, but that’s unusual) and pretty hot in the summer. The late fall/mild winter can be really dreary/foggy/rainy, but there are lots of gorgeous sunny fall & spring days. Like I said, the summer’s just plain hot and humid.</p>
<p>Summers that are “just plain hot” kind of depends on where you’re from
[Average</a> Weather for Walla Walla, WA - Temperature and Precipitation](<a href=“National and Local Weather Radar, Daily Forecast, Hurricane and information from The Weather Channel and weather.com”>National and Local Weather Radar, Daily Forecast, Hurricane and information from The Weather Channel and weather.com)</p>
<p>Highs around 90 in July and August, lows around 60. If you’re from the south, that’s pretty pleasant. Of course not much in Walla Walla is air conditioned. </p>
<p>This winter was colder and snowier than normal. When we toured 2 years ago the junior guide said average winter snowfall was a few inches a few times…</p>
<p>Mostly overcast then in Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb?</p>
<p>The Washington coast is cloudy–but eastern Washington State (“the Palouse”) is much different and much sunnier. (300 days sunny days a year I’ve been told) It can get cold in deep December and January (but school is out late Dec-mid Jan) and there was an unusually snowy year this year (most in 20+ years) one native told me…but overall there is real winter but not a lot of snow/ice. (Son wears sneaker and flip flops; doesn’t seem to own boots…) Fall is very colorful and I’ve just been there once in spring but it was beautiful. Summer is hot (but again school is out midMay, resumes in late August.)</p>
<p>My daughter is a junior. I’ve visited twice in the fall (during family weekend), once in the spring, and once in the late summer. Here’s my impression, mainly culled from those visits and reports from my daughter, who spent last summer in WW, working on campus.</p>
<p>The statement by Whitman that touts 300 sunny days: This is a bit misleading. Eastern Washington is not the southwest. It isn’t dry like the Arizona or New Mexico desert. Obviously it isn’t like the coast, either, but the winter is cold and according to my daughter there are plenty of overcast drizzly days. She found a pair of knee-high rubber boots to be indispensible for walking across campus in the early morning Nov thru April. There was one remarkable day I think two years ago when there was an ice storm. Everyone was out snapping pix of the trees hanging with crystals. When it’s gorgeous, it’s really gorgeous. Late October is often lovely (i.e. family weekend), sometimes warm, sometimes cooer. Late spring on campus can be lovely too. The landscaping and trees on campus are well-tended and beautiful. </p>
<p>My daughter doesn’t like really hot weather and she didn’t complain much about the heat during the summer. All summer the pool was open, so that was an option. In September the small dorm rooms can get very hot. If you are taking your freshman up bring along a small personal desk fan. They will be sold out in town!</p>