Photo: Finetooth · CC BY-SA 3.0Dry weather: only 21 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Cove, less than in 89% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 23°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 62% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.1° above 1901–2000. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Cove at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cove’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cove’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Cove 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 11 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Union, OR, 7 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cove’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 16 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Union, OR, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 21 inches a year; May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 115 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cove
94% 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 Union, OR.
Living with Cove’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cove from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (34%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cove and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cove yet.
Climates most like Cove’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cove, OR | 23° | 87° | 21" | 16" |
| Silver City, NM | 26° | 87° | 16" | 13" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
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 Cove averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°).
A smaller shift than in 67% 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 Cove compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cove’s place among Oregon’s.
Cove weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cove’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Union, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 23° | 2.1" | 5.3" | 13 | 10 | 23° – 37° |
| February | 44° | 25° | 1.5" | 2.9" | 10 | 6 | 28° – 41° |
| March | 53° | 29° | 2.2" | 1.2" | 11 | 1 | 36° – 45° |
| April | 60° | 33° | 2.4" | 0.4" | 13 | 0 | 41° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 40° | 2.8" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| June | 76° | 45° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| July | 87° | 50° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 74° |
| August | 87° | 48° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 77° | 41° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| October | 63° | 33° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| November | 48° | 28° | 2.3" | 1.4" | 13 | 1 | 32° – 45° |
| December | 39° | 23° | 2.2" | 4.9" | 12 | 8 | 24° – 35° |
| Year | 62° | 35° | 20.9" | 16.2" | 115 | 26 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. July swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 59° to 74°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Cove’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 Cove’s center.
- Snow: Union, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Union, OR, 7 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower; 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 Cove’s climate
What is the weather like in Cove?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cove in winter?
December nights average 23°. About 135 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 24°.
How much snow does Cove get?
About 16 inches in a normal winter at Union, OR, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 26 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cove?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 50°. About 29 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Union, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Cove?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 11 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 136 frost-free days, at Union, OR.
What growing zone is Cove 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 Cove?
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 Cove getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cove.
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.