Bonneville Dam Historic District · Photo: Eric Guinther (en:User:Marshman) · CC BY-SA 3.0Afternoon heat in Cascade Locks trails that of 82% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 33°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 78% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.2° higher. Tender plants can go out after about March 24; in half of years the first frost comes by November 20.
A year in Cascade Locks at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cascade Locks’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cascade Locks’ place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Cascade Locks feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 242 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 24 and the first by November 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cascade Locks, OR, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cascade Locks’ 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 10 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bonneville Dam, OR, is heaviest from January through February, about 3 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 41 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 179 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cascade Locks
93% 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 Cascade Locks, OR.
Living with Cascade Locks’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
242 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 24 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 7.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cascade Locks from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cascade Locks and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cascade Locks yet.
Climates most like Cascade Locks’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cascade Locks, OR | 33° | 82° | 41" | 10" |
| Brigantine, NJ | 28° | 83° | 45" | 10" |
| Lake Arrowhead, CA | 33° | 83° | 33" | 22" |
| Ocean City, MD | 30° | 86° | 46" | 10" |
| Abingdon, VA | 25° | 84° | 45" | 12" |
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 Cascade Locks averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
A smaller shift than in 64% 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 Cascade Locks compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cascade Locks’ place among Oregon’s.
Cascade Locks weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cascade Locks’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bonneville Dam, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 33° | 6.3" | 3.5" | 22 | 2 | 31° – 42° |
| February | 48° | 34° | 4.5" | 3.4" | 18 | 2 | 34° – 47° |
| March | 55° | 37° | 4.2" | 0.3" | 20 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| April | 61° | 40° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| June | 74° | 51° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| July | 82° | 55° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| August | 83° | 55° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 76° | 49° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 59° – 66° |
| October | 64° | 42° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| November | 50° | 37° | 6.6" | 0.2" | 21 | 0 | 39° – 49° |
| December | 42° | 33° | 7.1" | 2.9" | 22 | 2 | 33° – 40° |
| Year | 62° | 43° | 40.6" | 10.3" | 179 | 6 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 47°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Cascade Locks’ 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 Cascade Locks’ center.
- Snow: Bonneville Dam, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cascade Locks, OR, 0.2 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 Cascade Locks’ climate
What is the weather like in Cascade Locks?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cascade Locks in winter?
December nights average 33°. About 55 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Cascade Locks get?
About 10 inches in a normal winter at Bonneville Dam, OR, heaviest from January through February, about 3 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 6 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cascade Locks?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 55°. About 17 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Cascade Locks, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Cascade Locks?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 24 and the first fall frost by November 20, about 242 frost-free days, at Cascade Locks, OR.
What growing zone is Cascade Locks 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 Cascade Locks?
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 Cascade Locks getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cascade Locks.
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.