Photo: Orygun · CC BY-SA 4.0Precipitation in Gilchrist trails that of 88% of U.S. towns: 23 inches a year
In January the night’s low is typically 22°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 79% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.2° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Tender plants can go out after about June 7; in half of years the first frost comes by September 18.
A year in Gilchrist at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gilchrist’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gilchrist’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Gilchrist feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 100 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 7 and the first by September 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wickiup Dam, OR, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gilchrist’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 74 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wickiup Dam, OR, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 23 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 102 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gilchrist
98% 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 Wickiup Dam, OR.
Living with Gilchrist’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
100 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Jun 7 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gilchrist from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gilchrist and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Gilchrist yet.
Climates most like Gilchrist’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilchrist, OR | 22° | 82° | 23" | 74" |
| Columbia Falls, MT | 18° | 82° | 20" | 54" |
| Moscow, ID | 25° | 84° | 25" | 51" |
| Big Bear Lake, CA | 25° | 80° | 24" | 59" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
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 Gilchrist averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Gilchrist compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gilchrist’s place among Oregon’s.
Gilchrist weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gilchrist’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wickiup Dam, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 22° | 3.4" | 17.9" | 13 | 27 | 23° – 37° |
| February | 43° | 22° | 2.5" | 14.9" | 11 | 22 | 25° – 40° |
| March | 49° | 25° | 2.2" | 8.4" | 12 | 16 | 31° – 43° |
| April | 54° | 28° | 1.6" | 2.0" | 10 | 3 | 36° – 47° |
| May | 64° | 34° | 1.7" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 43° – 56° |
| June | 72° | 39° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 51° – 63° |
| July | 82° | 45° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| August | 82° | 43° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| September | 74° | 38° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 60° |
| October | 60° | 31° | 1.8" | 0.8" | 8 | 1 | 41° – 51° |
| November | 46° | 26° | 3.1" | 8.9" | 12 | 8 | 27° – 41° |
| December | 38° | 21° | 4.1" | 20.7" | 14 | 21 | 23° – 33° |
| Year | 59° | 31° | 22.8" | 73.9" | 102 | 98 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 40°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Gilchrist’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 Gilchrist’s center.
- Snow: Wickiup Dam, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wickiup Dam, OR, 14 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 Gilchrist’s climate
What is the weather like in Gilchrist?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 74 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gilchrist in winter?
December nights average 21°. About 201 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Gilchrist get?
About 74 inches in a normal winter at Wickiup Dam, OR, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 98 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gilchrist?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 45°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Wickiup Dam, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Gilchrist?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 7 and the first fall frost by September 18, about 100 frost-free days, at Wickiup Dam, OR.
What growing zone is Gilchrist in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gilchrist?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Gilchrist getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gilchrist.
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.