Photo: Cacophony · CC BY-SA 3.0Burns is among the driest of U.S. towns: 11 inches of precipitation a year
Expect July afternoons of about 87°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 71°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 74% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly June 11 to September 6.
A year in Burns at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Burns’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Burns’ place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Burns feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 85 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 11 and the first by September 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Burns Muni Airport, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Burns’ center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −11°. 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 11 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Burns
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 Burns Muni Airport.
Living with Burns’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
85 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Jun 11 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June. 1.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Burns from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Burns and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Burns 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 Burns averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°).
A bigger shift than in 78% 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 Burns compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Burns’ place among Oregon’s.
Burns weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Burns’ center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 17° | 1.5" | 17° – 34° |
| February | 42° | 21° | 0.9" | 21° – 39° |
| March | 51° | 26° | 1.1" | 33° – 44° |
| April | 57° | 29° | 0.9" | 38° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 37° | 1.1" | 46° – 58° |
| June | 75° | 42° | 0.8" | 54° – 67° |
| July | 87° | 49° | 0.3" | 57° – 73° |
| August | 86° | 46° | 0.3" | 61° – 70° |
| September | 77° | 38° | 0.4" | 54° – 62° |
| October | 63° | 29° | 0.7" | 39° – 52° |
| November | 47° | 23° | 1.1" | 26° – 41° |
| December | 37° | 16° | 1.6" | 20° – 33° |
| Year | 60° | 31° | 10.5" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 39°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Burns’ 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 Burns’ center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Burns 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 Burns’ climate
What is the weather like in Burns?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 17°. Colder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Burns in winter?
December nights average 16°. About 207 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How hot does it get in Burns?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 49°. About 31 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Burns Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Burns?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 11 and the first fall frost by September 6, about 85 frost-free days, at Burns Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Burns in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Burns?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Burns getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 78% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Burns.
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.