Fossil, OR climate
Fossil has chilly winters and pleasant summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 26 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Fossil feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Fossil weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 27° | 1.5" | 5.6" | 11 | 22° – 40° |
| February | 44° | 27° | 1.3" | 4.7" | 11 | 25° – 42° |
| March | 51° | 30° | 1.5" | 2.0" | 12 | 32° – 47° |
| April | 57° | 33° | 1.5" | 1.0" | 11 | 40° – 50° |
| May | 65° | 40° | 1.8" | 0 | 10 | 47° – 58° |
| June | 73° | 45° | 1.2" | 0 | 7 | 55° – 67° |
| July | 84° | 52° | 0.5" | 0 | 3 | 58° – 72° |
| August | 83° | 51° | 0.4" | 0 | 3 | 62° – 72° |
| September | 75° | 46° | 0.6" | 0 | 4 | 57° – 64° |
| October | 61° | 37° | 1.3" | 0.2" | 8 | 43° – 54° |
| November | 48° | 30° | 1.6" | 1.7" | 12 | 32° – 45° |
| December | 40° | 25° | 1.7" | 10.3" | 12 | 27° – 37° |
| Year | 60° | 37° | 14.8" | 25.5" | 103 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Fossil
Fossil gets 15 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 103 days a year.
About 98 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 3 and the first one by September 14. That leaves about 98 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 99% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Fossil
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Fossil, 97% of that work is heating and 3% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How Fossil compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Fossil averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.6°). The shift is larger than in 54% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Fossil’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. January swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 22° to 40°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Fossil’s climate
What is the coldest month in Fossil?
December, with a typical high of 40° and a low of 25°.
What is the hottest month in Fossil?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 52°. About 27 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Fossil get?
About 26 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Fossil?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 14, and the last spring frost by June 3.
What is the rainiest month in Fossil?
May, with 1.8 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 15 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Fossil itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Condon, OR (17 mi, snow) and Fossil, OR (1 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.