Photo: Finetooth · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns get less rain and snow than Baker City: 12 inches a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 86° on average. Seasons differ by 67°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Baker City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Baker City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Baker City’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Baker City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 111 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 25 and the first by September 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Baker City Muni Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Baker City’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 12 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Baker City
95% 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 Baker City Muni Airport.
Living with Baker City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
111 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 25 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 2.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Baker City from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Baker City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Baker City yet.
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 Baker City averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.6°).
A bigger shift than in 66% 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 Baker City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Baker City’s place among Oregon’s.
Baker City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Baker City’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 20° | 1.0" | 18° – 34° |
| February | 42° | 23° | 1.0" | 25° – 40° |
| March | 51° | 28° | 1.2" | 35° – 45° |
| April | 58° | 32° | 1.2" | 40° – 51° |
| May | 67° | 39° | 1.7" | 47° – 58° |
| June | 75° | 45° | 1.2" | 56° – 67° |
| July | 86° | 51° | 0.7" | 58° – 74° |
| August | 86° | 50° | 0.5" | 63° – 71° |
| September | 77° | 42° | 0.5" | 56° – 64° |
| October | 62° | 33° | 0.8" | 41° – 54° |
| November | 45° | 26° | 1.1" | 29° – 42° |
| December | 36° | 19° | 1.5" | 20° – 32° |
| Year | 60° | 34° | 12.2" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 18° to 34°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Baker City’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 Baker City’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Baker City Muni Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Baker City’s climate
What is the weather like in Baker City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 20°. Colder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 57% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Baker City in winter?
December nights average 19°. About 191 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How hot does it get in Baker City?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 51°. About 27 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Baker City Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Baker City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 25 and the first fall frost by September 15, about 111 frost-free days, at Baker City Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Baker City in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Baker City?
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 Baker City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Baker City.
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.