North Powder, OR climate
North Powder has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 79 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in North Powder feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
North Powder 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 | 39° | 22° | 1.3" | 20.5" | 13 | 31 | 23° – 36° |
| February | 43° | 24° | 1.1" | 11.9" | 11 | 29 | 27° – 41° |
| March | 51° | 29° | 1.2" | 6.4" | 11 | 23 | 35° – 45° |
| April | 58° | 32° | 1.2" | 2.2" | 10 | 5 | 40° – 52° |
| May | 67° | 39° | 1.7" | 0.5" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| June | 74° | 44° | 1.4" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| July | 86° | 50° | 0.6" | 0 | 5 | 0 | 58° – 73° |
| August | 85° | 49° | 0.5" | 0 | 4 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 76° | 41° | 0.5" | 0 | 3 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| October | 62° | 33° | 0.9" | 0.4" | 8 | 0 | 41° – 54° |
| November | 46° | 27° | 1.3" | 11.6" | 12 | 11 | 30° – 43° |
| December | 38° | 22° | 1.6" | 25.0" | 14 | 28 | 23° – 34° |
| Year | 60° | 34° | 13.0" | 78.6" | 109 | 127 |
“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 North Powder
North Powder gets 13 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 109 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 127 days of the year.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 11 and the first one by September 26. That leaves about 136 frost-free days for gardens, shorter than 92% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in North Powder
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In North Powder, 94% of that work is heating and 6% 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 North Powder 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 North Powder averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°). The shift is larger than in 69% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at North Powder’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. July swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 58° to 73°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about North Powder’s climate
What is the coldest month in North Powder?
December, with a typical high of 38° and a low of 22°.
What is the hottest month in North Powder?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 50°. About 29 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does North Powder get?
About 79 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in North Powder?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by September 26, and the last spring frost by May 11.
What is the rainiest month in North Powder?
May, with 1.7 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 13 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for North Powder itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Rock Creek, OR (11 mi, snow) and Union, OR (12 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.