Photo: Tedder · CC BY 3.0Few U.S. towns get more rain and snow than Falls City: 65 inches a year
In January the night’s low is typically 35°. A year here swings 48° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 81% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly April 18 to November 7.
A year in Falls City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Falls City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Falls City’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Falls City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 202 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first by November 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Falls City 2 Ssw, OR, 2.1 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Falls City’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 18°. 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 Falls City 2 Ssw, OR, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 65 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 162 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Falls City
96% 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 Falls City 2 Ssw, OR.
Living with Falls City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
202 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 18 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Falls City from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Falls City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Falls City yet.
Climates most like Falls 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Falls City, OR | 35° | 82° | 65" | 9.6" |
| East Flat Rock, NC | 29° | 83° | 64" | 6.7" |
| Signal Mountain, TN | 29° | 85° | 62" | 4.3" |
| Fort Payne, AL | 31° | 86° | 60" | 5.0" |
| Shelton, WA | 34° | 77° | 62" | 4.4" |
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 Falls City averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 70% 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 Falls City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Falls City’s place among Oregon’s.
Falls City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Falls City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Falls City 2 Ssw, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 35° | 10.8" | 2.6" | 20 | 36° – 46° |
| February | 51° | 35° | 7.6" | 1.8" | 17 | 36° – 49° |
| March | 55° | 37° | 7.6" | 1.1" | 20 | 42° – 52° |
| April | 60° | 40° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 18 | 45° – 56° |
| May | 68° | 45° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 51° – 61° |
| June | 73° | 49° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 57° – 69° |
| July | 82° | 52° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 60° – 71° |
| August | 83° | 52° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 77° | 49° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 59° – 66° |
| October | 64° | 43° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 15 | 49° – 58° |
| November | 52° | 38° | 10.0" | 0.5" | 19 | 39° – 50° |
| December | 46° | 34° | 12.6" | 3.6" | 21 | 35° – 43° |
| Year | 63° | 42° | 65.2" | 9.6" | 162 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 49°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Falls 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 Falls City’s center.
- Snow: Falls City 2 Ssw, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Falls City 2 Ssw, OR, 2.1 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft higher; 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 Falls City’s climate
What is the weather like in Falls City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Falls City in winter?
December nights average 34°. About 70 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Falls City get?
About 9.6 inches in a normal winter at Falls City 2 Ssw, OR, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Falls City?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 52°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Falls City 2 Ssw, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Falls City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 18 and the first fall frost by November 7, about 202 frost-free days, at Falls City 2 Ssw, OR.
What growing zone is Falls City in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Falls City?
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 Falls City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 70% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Falls 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.