Photo: Finetooth · CC BY-SA 3.0Hardly any U.S. towns collect more precipitation than Alsea: 71 inches a year
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 35°. December is the wettest month here, with about 27 times the rain of July. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 81% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from November to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Alsea at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Alsea’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Alsea’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Alsea feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 202 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 13 and the first by November 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Alsea Fh (fall Creek), OR, 8 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Alsea’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 19°. 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 71 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 174 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.8" in a normal year at Alsea Fh (fall Creek), OR, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Alsea
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Alsea Fh (fall Creek), OR.
Living with Alsea’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
202 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 13 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Alsea from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Alsea and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Alsea yet.
Climates most like Alsea’s, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alsea, OR | 35° | 82° | 71" | 0.8" |
| East Flat Rock, NC | 29° | 83° | 64" | 6.7" |
| Signal Mountain, TN | 29° | 85° | 62" | 4.3" |
| Sultan, WA | 35° | 76° | 75" | 3.0" |
| Fort Payne, AL | 31° | 86° | 60" | 5.0" |
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 Alsea averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 Alsea compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Alsea’s place among Oregon’s.
Alsea weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Alsea’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Alsea Fh (fall Creek), OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 35° | 11.0" | 0.1" | 21 | 0 | 36° – 45° |
| February | 51° | 35° | 8.5" | 0.4" | 18 | 0 | 36° – 49° |
| March | 55° | 37° | 8.7" | 0.1" | 21 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| April | 60° | 39° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| May | 68° | 44° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| June | 73° | 48° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| July | 82° | 52° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| August | 83° | 52° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 65° – 71° |
| September | 77° | 49° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 60° – 66° |
| October | 64° | 43° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| November | 52° | 38° | 10.7" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 | 40° – 50° |
| December | 46° | 35° | 12.8" | 0.2" | 21 | 0 | 36° – 43° |
| Year | 63° | 42° | 71.2" | 0.8" | 174 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 49°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Alsea’s 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 Alsea’s center.
- Snow: Alsea Fh (fall Creek), OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Alsea Fh (fall Creek), OR, 8 miles from the town’s center, 210 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 Alsea’s climate
What is the weather like in Alsea?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Alsea in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 53 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Alsea get?
About 0.8 inches in a normal winter at Alsea Fh (fall Creek), OR, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Alsea?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 52°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Alsea Fh (fall Creek), OR).
When is the first and last frost in Alsea?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 13 and the first fall frost by November 3, about 202 frost-free days, at Alsea Fh (fall Creek), OR.
What growing zone is Alsea in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Alsea?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Alsea getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Alsea.
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.