Willow Prairie Cabin · Photo: United States Forest Service · Public domainWinter nights in Butte Falls are milder than in 76% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 84°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 53°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 73% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 19; in half of years the first frost comes by October 3.
A year in Butte Falls at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Butte Falls’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Butte Falls’ place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Butte Falls feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Prospect 2 Sw, OR, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Butte Falls’ center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lost Creek Dam, OR, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 37 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 127 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Butte Falls
92% 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 Prospect 2 Sw, OR.
Living with Butte Falls’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by May 19 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Butte Falls from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Butte Falls and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Butte Falls yet.
Climates most like Butte Falls’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butte Falls, OR | 32° | 84° | 37" | 1.3" |
| Windsor, CA | 38° | 85° | 35" | 0.0" |
| Felida, WA | 35° | 81° | 42" | 0.8" |
| Dunn Loring, VA | 26° | 87° | 44" | 5.8" |
| Kingsport, TN | 28° | 87° | 45" | 5.1" |
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 Butte Falls averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°).
A bigger shift than in 60% 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 Butte Falls compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Butte Falls’ place among Oregon’s.
Butte Falls weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Butte Falls’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lost Creek Dam, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 32° | 4.0" | 0.1" | 17 | 0 | 34° – 44° |
| February | 49° | 32° | 3.7" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 34° – 46° |
| March | 53° | 33° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 38° – 49° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 61° |
| June | 74° | 46° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| July | 84° | 54° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| August | 85° | 54° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| September | 78° | 50° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| October | 65° | 43° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 59° |
| November | 51° | 35° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 35° – 48° |
| December | 44° | 31° | 6.3" | 1.1" | 18 | 1 | 34° – 42° |
| Year | 63° | 41° | 36.6" | 1.3" | 127 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 48° to 61°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Butte Falls’ 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 Butte Falls’ center.
- Snow: Lost Creek Dam, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Prospect 2 Sw, OR, 14 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 Butte Falls’ climate
What is the weather like in Butte Falls?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 57% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Butte Falls in winter?
December nights average 31°. About 116 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Butte Falls get?
About 1.3 inches in a normal winter at Lost Creek Dam, OR, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Butte Falls?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 54°. About 43 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Prospect 2 Sw, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Butte Falls?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 136 frost-free days, at Prospect 2 Sw, OR.
What growing zone is Butte Falls in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Butte Falls?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Butte Falls getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Butte Falls.
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.