North Plains has mild winters and pleasant summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in North Plains at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What a year in North Plains feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
5 inches of snow, 40 of rain and melt
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 152 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
About 191 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 16 and the first by October 23.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Living with North Plains’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
191 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 16 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 23.
About 5" in a normal winter.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 95% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 17 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 81°.
The nicest months are May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in North Plains averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 51% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How North Plains compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Oregon.
North Plains 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 | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 35° | 6.0" | 1.6" | 20 | 2 | 34° – 45° |
| February | 51° | 35° | 4.4" | 1.6" | 15 | 1 | 37° – 48° |
| March | 56° | 37° | 4.3" | 0 | 18 | 0 | 43° – 52° |
| April | 61° | 40° | 3.0" | 0 | 16 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 2.1" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| June | 73° | 50° | 1.4" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 54° | 0.4" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| August | 81° | 54° | 0.5" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 76° | 50° | 1.4" | 0 | 6 | 0 | 59° – 65° |
| October | 63° | 43° | 3.4" | 0 | 12 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| November | 52° | 38° | 6.0" | 0.3" | 19 | 0 | 40° – 50° |
| December | 46° | 34° | 7.1" | 1.7" | 21 | 1 | 36° – 43° |
| Year | 63° | 43° | 40.0" | 5.2" | 152 | 4 |
Heating and cooling a home in North Plains
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 45°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Common questions about North Plains’s climate
What is the coldest month in North Plains?
December, with a typical high of 46° and a low of 34°.
What is the hottest month in North Plains?
August, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 54°. About 17 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does North Plains get?
About 5 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in North Plains?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 23, and the last spring frost by April 16.
What is the rainiest month in North Plains?
December, with 7.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 40 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in North Plains.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for North Plains itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Dilley 2 S, OR (11 mi, snow) and Portland-hillsboro Airport, OR (5 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. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.