Olympia weather in August

In August, Olympia sees average daytime highs of 75°F and overnight lows near 55°F, with 1.0 in of rain across 4 wet days and about 14 hours of daylight. It is the 1st-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 76°F in the first days to 73°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 47% of the time in August, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 14 h 48 min at the start of August to 13 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Olympia's 2nd-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Olympia's year-round climate.

Daytime high
75°
1st warmest
Overnight low
55°
12th coldest
Rainfall
1.0 in
4 wet days
Daylight
14 hours
5:14 AM – 7:17 PM
Cloud cover
44%
2nd clearest
Wind
5 mph
11th windiest
Solar energy
5.5 kWh/m²
Travel score
8.2
out of 10

Olympia is capital city of the U.S. state of Washington and seat of Thurston County.

Density
1,093/km²
people per km²
Founded
1859

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in August

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 76°F in the first days to 73°F by the end.

A typical August day in Olympia reaches about 75°F in the afternoon and slips back to 55°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 66°F and 84°F. Set against its neighbours, August runs on par with July and about 6°F warmer than September.

40°50°60°70°80°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
17656
27656
37656
47656
57656
67656
77656
87656
97656
107556
117556
127556
137556
147556
157556
167556
177556
187556
197555
207455
217455
227455
237455
247455
257455
267455
277355
287355
297355
307355
317355

How August really feels in Olympia

Once humidity and wind are folded in, August averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

August sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Olympia weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 1st-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan45° / 38°7.617.52.38.70.9
Feb48° / 38°5.314.42101.5
Mar52° / 40°6.317.61.111.62.2
Apr57° / 43°4.714.90.113.33.5
May63° / 48°2.910.2014.85.5
Jun68° / 52°1.87.5015.66.5
Jul74° / 55°0.73.1015.38.2
Aug75° / 55°1.040148.2
Sep69° / 52°2.17012.47.0
Oct59° / 47°5.112.7010.64.3
Nov50° / 41°8.417.60.69.11.8
Dec45° / 37°8.117.12.38.40.7

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 47% of the time in August.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 18% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 35%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17228
27129
37030
46931
56931
66733
76733
86733
96535
106535
116535
126535
136535
146535
156535
166535
176535
186535
196436
206436
216337
226337
236238
246139
256139
266040
276040
286040
296040
306040
316040

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

Olympia gets around 1.0 in of rain over 4 wet days in August. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 13% and peaks near 19% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
19
29
39
410
510
611
711
811
912
1012
1112
1212
1312
1412
1512
1612
1712
1813
1913
2013
2113
2214
2314
2415
2515
2616
2716
2817
2918
3018
3119

Humidity in August

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of August feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, August lands in the dry band about 60% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)
161372
260382
360382
459392
559401
658411
757421
856431
954442
1054442
1154442
1254442
1354442
1455432
1556422
1656422
1757412
1858402
1959392
2060382
2161372
2262362
2363352
2464342
2565341
2666331
2766331
2867321
2967321
3068311
3168311

Wind in August

Winds average 5 mph in August.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 5 mph on the calmest days to 5 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 14 h 48 min at the start of August to 13 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 96 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 4:55 AM to 5:34 AM, and sunset from 7:41 PM to 6:49 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
114.84:557:41
214.74:567:39
314.74:577:38
414.64:597:36
514.65:007:35
614.55:017:33
714.55:027:32
814.45:047:30
914.45:057:29
1014.35:067:27
1114.35:087:26
1214.35:097:24
1314.25:107:22
1414.25:127:21
1514.15:137:19
1614.05:147:17
1714.05:167:15
1813.95:177:14
1913.95:187:12
2013.85:207:10
2113.85:217:08
2213.75:227:06
2313.75:247:04
2413.65:257:03
2513.65:267:01
2613.55:286:59
2713.55:296:57
2813.45:306:55
2913.45:326:53
3013.35:336:51
3113.25:346:49

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 5.5 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 0.89 kWh/m² to a high of 6.29 kWh/m² in July across the year — August's 5.5 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
16.2Intense
26.2Intense
36.1Intense
46.1Intense
56.0Intense
66.0Bright
76.0Bright
85.9Bright
95.9Bright
105.8Bright
115.8Bright
125.7Bright
135.7Bright
145.7Bright
155.6Bright
165.6Bright
175.5Bright
185.5Bright
195.4Bright
205.4Bright
215.3Bright
225.3Bright
235.2Bright
245.1Bright
255.1Bright
265.0Bright
275.0Bright
284.9Bright
294.9Bright
304.8Bright
314.8Bright
Planning a trip in August

Hazard calendar for Olympia

In seasonPeak

None of Olympia's seasonal hazards are active in August. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Olympia's rainy season runs October–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is August a good time to visit Olympia?

Our two travel scores rate August for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

8.2
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
6.7
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

August is one of the better times to visit Olympia for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Olympia in August

From August's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In August, Olympia sees daytime highs around 75°F and nights near 55°F. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection. About 4 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Olympia in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 6 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Olympia peaks around July 17 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 18 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 17UV 8Dec 18UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb1Low
Mar4Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May7Very high
Jun6High
Jul8Very high
Aug6High
Sep4Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov1Low
Dec1Low
Location & terrain

Where is Olympia?

Olympia sits at 47.0°N, 122.9°W, 95 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Tumwater, 2.5 mi away.

Topography around Olympia

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Olympia.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Olympia has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 364 ft around an average of 135 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,241 ft; within 50 miles, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 6,555 ft.

The land around Olympia is covered by trees (57%) and artificial surfaces (22%) within 2 miles, trees (63%) within 10 miles, and trees (81%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
364 ft
10 miles
2,241 ft
50 miles
6,555 ft
treesgrasslandartificial surfaceswater
August weather nearby: Tumwater 2.5 mi · Lacey 3.7 mi · Lakewood 20 mi · University Place 21 mi · Spanaway 22 mi · Centralia 23 mi · Parkland 23 mi · Frederickson 26 mi

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
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

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 Olympia (47.0449°, -122.9017°, elevation 95 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. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).