Bellingham in Fall
In fall (September, October and November), Bellingham sees average daytime highs around 56°F and overnight lows near 48°F, with 19.0 in of precipitation over about 43 wet days across the season. It is the 2nd-warmest season and the 2nd-wettest season.
Over the season highs ease from about 66°F in early September to 45°F by late November. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time across fall, and the air most often feels dry.
Fall is Bellingham's 2nd-best season to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Bellingham's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 56°F
- 2nd-warmest season
- Avg overnight low
- 48°F
- Precipitation
- 19.0 in
- 43 wet days
- Avg wind
- 6 mph
- Travel score
- 3.5
- 2nd-best season
- Months
- Sep · Oct · Nov
Temperature in Bellingham in Fall
Over the season highs ease from about 66°F in early September to 45°F by late November.
A typical fall day in Bellingham reaches about 56°F and drops to 48°F overnight. The warmest of the three months is September, the coolest November.
How fall really feels in Bellingham
Once humidity and wind are folded in, fall brings about 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F.
fall sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Bellingham weather by month
How the three fall months (September, October and November) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°F) | Rainfall (inches) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44° / 38° | 8.4 | 18.6 | 3.2 | 8.5 | 0.6 |
| Feb | 46° / 38° | 5.4 | 15.3 | 2.8 | 9.8 | 1.0 |
| Mar | 49° / 40° | 6.7 | 18.9 | 1.9 | 11.6 | 1.5 |
| Apr | 53° / 43° | 4.8 | 15.2 | 0.1 | 13.4 | 2.5 |
| May | 57° / 48° | 3.4 | 11.3 | 0 | 15 | 4.0 |
| Jun | 61° / 53° | 2.5 | 9.4 | 0 | 15.9 | 5.2 |
| Jul | 66° / 57° | 1.3 | 5.1 | 0 | 15.5 | 7.1 |
| Aug | 67° / 58° | 1.8 | 5.3 | 0 | 14.2 | 7.2 |
| Sep | 64° / 54° | 3.2 | 9.1 | 0 | 12.4 | 5.9 |
| Oct | 56° / 48° | 6.4 | 14.7 | 0 | 10.5 | 3.3 |
| Nov | 48° / 41° | 9.5 | 18.8 | 1.1 | 9 | 1.4 |
| Dec | 44° / 38° | 8.1 | 18.3 | 3.3 | 8.1 | 0.5 |
Cloud cover in Fall
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time across fall.
Chance of precipitation in Fall
Bellingham gets around 19.0 in of rain and snow over 43 wet days across fall. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Fall
Most of fall feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Fall
Winds average 6 mph across fall.
Sunrise & sunset in Fall
Daylight runs from about 13 h 18 min in early September to 8 h 24 min by late November. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Fall
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across fall, about 2.5 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Bellingham
In fall, Bellingham overlaps its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Bellingham's rainy season runs October–April, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is fall a good time to visit Bellingham?
Our two travel scores rate fall for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
fall is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Bellingham.
What to pack for Bellingham in Fall
From fall's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In fall, Bellingham sees daytime highs around 56°F and nights near 48°F. Pack a warm layer and rain gear. About 43 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Bellingham in Fall
The nearest coast averages about 52°F across fall — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 19 mi away) is warmest in August at about 60°F and coldest in January near 45°F.
The water stays below 68°F all year — cool enough that most swimmers want a wetsuit.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°F) | 45 | 45 | 46 | 49 | 53 | 56 | 59 | 60 | 57 | 52 | 49 | 46 |
| Comfort | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Cool | Cool | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing |
| Sea temperature (°F) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 45 | Bracing |
| Feb | 45 | Bracing |
| Mar | 46 | Bracing |
| Apr | 49 | Bracing |
| May | 53 | Bracing |
| Jun | 56 | Bracing |
| Jul | 59 | Cool |
| Aug | 60 | Cool |
| Sep | 57 | Bracing |
| Oct | 52 | Bracing |
| Nov | 49 | Bracing |
| Dec | 46 | Bracing |
UV index in Bellingham in Fall
Clear-sky midday UV across fall averages around 3. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Bellingham peaks around July 17 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 17 at about 1 (low).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Level | Low | Low | Moderate | Moderate | High | High | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate | Low | Low |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1 | Low |
| Feb | 1 | Low |
| Mar | 4 | Moderate |
| Apr | 4 | Moderate |
| May | 7 | High |
| Jun | 6 | High |
| Jul | 8 | Very high |
| Aug | 6 | High |
| Sep | 4 | Moderate |
| Oct | 3 | Moderate |
| Nov | 1 | Low |
| Dec | 1 | Low |
Air quality in Bellingham in Fall
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where fall falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Bellingham is worst in September — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.2× the cleanest month (December, 6 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 7 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 18 | 18 | 12 | 7 | 6 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Good |
| Feb | 9 | Good |
| Mar | 12 | Good |
| Apr | 12 | Good |
| May | 12 | Good |
| Jun | 11 | Good |
| Jul | 11 | Good |
| Aug | 18 | Moderate |
| Sep | 18 | Moderate |
| Oct | 12 | Good |
| Nov | 7 | Good |
| Dec | 6 | Good |
Where is Bellingham?
Bellingham sits at 48.8°N, 122.5°W, 69 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Anacortes, 18 mi away.
Topography around Bellingham
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Bellingham.
Within 2 miles, the terrain around Bellingham has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 666 ft around an average of 102 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,097 ft; within 50 miles, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 10,758 ft.
The land around Bellingham is covered by trees (39%), artificial surfaces (29%) and water (23%) within 2 miles, trees (49%) and water (26%) within 10 miles, and trees (51%) and water (32%) within 50 miles.
United States travel facts
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 100% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $90,027
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.8 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 98%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 5.8
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 12.7
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Bellingham (48.7595°, -122.4882°, elevation 69 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google.