Photo: Finetooth · CC BY-SA 3.0Crane is among the driest of U.S. towns: 11 inches of precipitation a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 88°. December is the wettest month, August the driest. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 68% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Crane at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Crane’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Crane’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Crane 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. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Malheur Refuge Hq, OR, 17 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Burns Muni Airport, 22 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Crane’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 Crane
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 Crane’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
85 frost-free days in zone 6a. 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.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Crane from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Crane and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Crane 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 Crane averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°).
A bigger shift than in 87% 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 Crane compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Crane’s place among Oregon’s.
Crane weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Crane’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 19° | 1.5" | 18° – 35° |
| February | 43° | 21° | 0.9" | 22° – 39° |
| March | 52° | 26° | 1.1" | 34° – 45° |
| April | 58° | 30° | 1.1" | 38° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 38° | 1.3" | 46° – 58° |
| June | 76° | 44° | 0.8" | 56° – 69° |
| July | 88° | 50° | 0.3" | 58° – 74° |
| August | 86° | 48° | 0.2" | 61° – 71° |
| September | 77° | 39° | 0.4" | 55° – 63° |
| October | 63° | 30° | 0.8" | 39° – 53° |
| November | 47° | 24° | 1.1" | 28° – 41° |
| December | 37° | 18° | 1.6" | 22° – 33° |
| Year | 61° | 32° | 11.0" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 39°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Crane’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 Crane’s center.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Burns Muni Airport, 22 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Malheur Refuge Hq, OR, 17 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 Crane’s climate
What is the weather like in Crane?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 19°. Colder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Crane in winter?
December nights average 18°. About 184 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How hot does it get in Crane?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 50°. About 17 days a year reach 90° (Burns Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Crane?
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 Crane in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Crane?
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 Crane getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Crane.
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.