Photo: User:bobjgalindo · CC BY-SA 3.0Less rain and snow falls on Dorris than on 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches a year
In January the night’s low is typically 24°. Only 62° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Plan time outside for June and September, when highs sit at 75–78°.
A year in Dorris at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dorris’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dorris’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Dorris feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 107 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 5 and the first by September 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Keno, OR, 9 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dorris’ center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 52 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Keno, OR, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Dorris
96% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Keno, OR.
Living with Dorris’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
107 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Jun 5 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dorris from natural hazards, drought is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dorris and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Dorris yet.
Climates most like Dorris’, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorris, CA | 24° | 85° | 16" | 52" |
| Cheney, WA | 24° | 84° | 17" | 45" |
| Castle Pines, CO | 19° | 86° | 17" | 58" |
| Los Alamos, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 42" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Dorris averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 72% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Dorris compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dorris’ place among California’s.
Dorris weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dorris’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Keno, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 24° | 2.2" | 12.1" | 13 | 11 | 27° – 40° |
| February | 46° | 25° | 1.7" | 10.6" | 10 | 8 | 29° – 43° |
| March | 52° | 28° | 1.9" | 5.8" | 11 | 4 | 34° – 47° |
| April | 58° | 31° | 1.3" | 1.9" | 10 | 1 | 39° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 38° | 1.3" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 60° |
| June | 75° | 43° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| July | 85° | 51° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 58° – 73° |
| August | 85° | 49° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 78° | 43° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| October | 64° | 34° | 1.1" | 0.3" | 6 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| November | 49° | 28° | 1.9" | 6.6" | 11 | 4 | 28° – 44° |
| December | 41° | 23° | 2.5" | 14.7" | 12 | 12 | 28° – 36° |
| Year | 62° | 35° | 15.7" | 52.2" | 93 | 40 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 44°. December is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Dorris’ numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Dorris’ center.
- Snow: Keno, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Keno, OR, 9 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Dorris’ climate
What is the weather like in Dorris?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 52 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 50% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dorris in winter?
December nights average 23°. About 189 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does Dorris get?
About 52 inches in a normal winter at Keno, OR, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 40 days a year.
How hot does it get in Dorris?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 51°. About 34 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Keno, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Dorris?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 5 and the first fall frost by September 20, about 107 frost-free days, at Keno, OR.
What growing zone is Dorris in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Dorris?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Dorris getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dorris.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.