Photo: David Wilson · CC BY 2.0Bend’s winters are milder but snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Bend at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bend’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bend’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Bend feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 105 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 6 and the first by September 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bend, OR, 1.1 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bend’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. 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 22 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bend, OR, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 63 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bend
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 Bend, OR.
Living with Bend’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
105 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Jun 6 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, August and September. 81 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bend from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (79%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bend and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Bend in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Bend’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bend, OR | 25° | 84° | 12" | 22" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Edgewood, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 29" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Bend averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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. In a city of 107,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Bend compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bend’s place among Oregon’s.
Bend weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bend’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bend, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 25° | 1.6" | 6.4" | 9 | 23° – 39° |
| February | 45° | 25° | 1.1" | 5.5" | 7 | 26° – 42° |
| March | 51° | 27° | 0.9" | 1.5" | 6 | 32° – 46° |
| April | 57° | 30° | 0.8" | 0.7" | 6 | 39° – 50° |
| May | 66° | 37° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 45° – 56° |
| June | 74° | 42° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 52° – 65° |
| July | 84° | 48° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 56° – 70° |
| August | 84° | 47° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 61° – 69° |
| September | 76° | 41° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 55° – 62° |
| October | 62° | 33° | 0.8" | 0.2" | 4 | 43° – 53° |
| November | 48° | 28° | 1.3" | 2.0" | 7 | 32° – 44° |
| December | 40° | 23° | 2.1" | 5.3" | 9 | 26° – 36° |
| Year | 61° | 34° | 11.5" | 21.6" | 63 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 39°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Bend’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 Bend’s center.
- Snow: Bend, OR (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bend, OR, 1.1 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Bend’s climate
What is the weather like in Bend?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 56% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bend in winter?
December nights average 23°. About 168 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Bend get?
About 22 inches in a normal winter at Bend, OR, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Bend?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 48°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Bend, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Bend?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 6 and the first fall frost by September 20, about 105 frost-free days, at Bend, OR.
What growing zone is Bend in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bend?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bend getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bend.
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.