Rufus, OR climate
Rufus has mild winters and warm summers, with very little rain. A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Rufus feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Rufus 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° | 29° | 1.8" | 0.6" | 9 | 25° – 41° |
| February | 47° | 31° | 1.3" | 0.5" | 8 | 29° – 45° |
| March | 55° | 34° | 1.1" | 0.1" | 7 | 36° – 50° |
| April | 62° | 39° | 0.8" | 0 | 6 | 46° – 57° |
| May | 72° | 46° | 0.8" | 0 | 6 | 54° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 51° | 0.6" | 0 | 3 | 60° – 73° |
| July | 88° | 57° | 0.2" | 0 | 2 | 65° – 76° |
| August | 88° | 56° | 0.2" | 0 | 2 | 67° – 76° |
| September | 79° | 49° | 0.4" | 0 | 3 | 61° – 68° |
| October | 64° | 40° | 1.1" | 0 | 6 | 47° – 58° |
| November | 50° | 33° | 1.7" | 1.1" | 9 | 35° – 47° |
| December | 40° | 29° | 2.3" | 4.0" | 9 | 29° – 39° |
| Year | 64° | 41° | 12.2" | 6.3" | 69 |
“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 Rufus
Rufus gets 12 inches of rain and melted snow a year. December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 69 days a year.
About 197 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first one by October 26. That leaves about 197 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 70% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Rufus
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Rufus, 85% of that work is heating and 15% 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 Rufus 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 Rufus averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°). The shift is larger than in 69% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Rufus’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. February swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 29° to 45°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Common questions about Rufus’s climate
What is the coldest month in Rufus?
December, with a typical high of 40° and a low of 29°.
What is the hottest month in Rufus?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 57°. About 43 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Rufus get?
About 6 inches in a normal winter, most of it in December.
When is the first frost in Rufus?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 26, and the last spring frost by April 11.
What is the rainiest month in Rufus?
December, with 2.3 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 12 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Rufus itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Wasco, OR (7 mi, snow) and The Dalles Municipal Airport, WA (21 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.