Photo: Visitor7 · CC BY-SA 3.0Dunes City sits near the top of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 69 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 39°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than almost every U.S. town. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.4°, most of all in January. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from June to October, with highs of 62–69°.
A year in Dunes City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dunes City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dunes City’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Dunes City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 237 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 28 and the first by November 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Honeyman Sp, OR, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dunes City’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 24°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 69 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 179 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.6" in a normal year at Florence #2, OR, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Dunes City
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. 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 Honeyman Sp, OR.
Living with Dunes City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
237 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 28 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August, September and October. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dunes City from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (61%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dunes City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Dunes City yet.
Climates most like Dunes City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dunes City, OR | 39° | 68° | 69" | 0.6" |
| Aberdeen, WA | 37° | 68° | 80" | 0.5" |
| Fortuna, CA | 42° | 70° | 55" | 0.7" |
| Boone, NC | 24° | 79° | 58" | 26" |
| Kodiak, AK | 26° | 62° | 78" | 70" |
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 Dunes City averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Dunes City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dunes City’s place among Oregon’s.
Dunes City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dunes City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Florence #2, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 39° | 10.7" | 0.3" | 20 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| February | 53° | 39° | 7.8" | 0.1" | 20 | 0 | 41° – 51° |
| March | 55° | 40° | 8.2" | 0.0" | 22 | 0 | 44° – 52° |
| April | 57° | 42° | 5.8" | 0.1" | 19 | 0 | 46° – 54° |
| May | 61° | 46° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 50° – 57° |
| June | 64° | 49° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 53° – 59° |
| July | 68° | 51° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 62° |
| August | 69° | 52° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 63° |
| September | 68° | 49° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 61° |
| October | 62° | 46° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 52° – 59° |
| November | 55° | 42° | 10.0" | 0.1" | 20 | 0 | 43° – 52° |
| December | 51° | 39° | 11.9" | 0.0" | 21 | 0 | 41° – 49° |
| Year | 60° | 44° | 68.9" | 0.6" | 179 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 41° to 51°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Dunes City’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 Dunes City’s center.
- Snow: Florence #2, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Honeyman Sp, OR, 1.4 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 Dunes City’s climate
What is the weather like in Dunes City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 68°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 53 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dunes City in winter?
February nights average 39°. About 28 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How much snow does Dunes City get?
About 0.6 inches in a normal winter at Florence #2, OR, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Dunes City?
July, with a typical high of 68°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Honeyman Sp, OR.
When is the first and last frost in Dunes City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 28 and the first fall frost by November 22, about 237 frost-free days, at Honeyman Sp, OR.
What growing zone is Dunes City in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Dunes City?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Dunes City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dunes City.
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.