Less rain and snow falls on Foots Creek than on 87% of U.S. towns: 27 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 33°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 78% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.4°, most of all in January. Radiators earn their keep from November to March, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Foots Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Foots Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Foots Creek’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Foots Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 201 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 8 and the first by October 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Grants Pass, OR, 10 miles from the town’s center, 430 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Foots Creek’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 27 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 87 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.3" in a normal year at Applegate, OR, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Foots Creek
85% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Grants Pass, OR.
Living with Foots Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
201 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 8 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Foots Creek from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Foots Creek and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Foots Creek yet.
Climates most like Foots Creek’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foots Creek, OR | 33° | 90° | 27" | 0.3" |
| St. Helena, CA | 38° | 89° | 32" | 0.0" |
| Fredericksburg, TX | 35° | 94° | 30" | 0.2" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
| Mustang, OK | 28° | 93° | 36" | 4.1" |
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 Foots Creek averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 55% 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 Foots Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Foots Creek’s place among Oregon’s.
Foots Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Foots Creek’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Applegate, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 33° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 37° – 46° |
| February | 54° | 34° | 3.3" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 49° |
| March | 59° | 36° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| April | 65° | 39° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| May | 73° | 44° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 81° | 49° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| July | 90° | 55° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 64° – 77° |
| August | 90° | 53° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 84° | 48° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| October | 70° | 40° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| November | 54° | 36° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 38° – 50° |
| December | 46° | 33° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 35° – 44° |
| Year | 68° | 42° | 27.3" | 0.3" | 87 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. July swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 64° to 77°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Foots Creek’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 Foots Creek’s center.
- Snow: Applegate, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Grants Pass, OR, 10 miles from the town’s center, 430 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 Foots Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Foots Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 33°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 78% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Foots Creek in winter?
December nights average 33°. About 65 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Foots Creek get?
About 0.3 inches in a normal winter at Applegate, OR, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Foots Creek?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 55°. About 55 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Grants Pass, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Foots Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 8 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 201 frost-free days, at Grants Pass, OR.
What growing zone is Foots Creek 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 Foots Creek?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Foots Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Foots Creek.
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.