Gopher Flats’ winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Gopher Flats at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gopher Flats’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gopher Flats’ place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Gopher Flats feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 135 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by September 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pendleton Branch Exp Stn, OR, 6 miles from the town’s center, 250 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gopher Flats’ center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 16 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pendleton, OR, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 100 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gopher Flats
93% 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 Pendleton Branch Exp Stn, OR.
Living with Gopher Flats’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
135 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 12 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gopher Flats from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 25%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gopher Flats and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Gopher Flats in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Gopher Flats’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gopher Flats, OR | 28° | 90° | 16" | 16" |
| Prescott, AZ | 26° | 90° | 15" | 10" |
| Clovis, NM | 24° | 91° | 17" | 13" |
| Yreka, CA | 29° | 91° | 20" | 12" |
| Carson City, NV | 23° | 90° | 11" | 14" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Gopher Flats averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.8°).
A bigger shift than in 78% 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 Gopher Flats compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gopher Flats’ place among Oregon’s.
Gopher Flats weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gopher Flats’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pendleton, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 28° | 1.7" | 3.8" | 12 | 4 | 25° – 43° |
| February | 48° | 29° | 1.4" | 4.5" | 10 | 3 | 29° – 45° |
| March | 57° | 33° | 1.6" | 0.7" | 12 | 1 | 37° – 50° |
| April | 63° | 37° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 72° | 44° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| June | 79° | 50° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| July | 90° | 55° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| August | 89° | 53° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 79° | 46° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| October | 65° | 37° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| November | 51° | 32° | 1.8" | 1.2" | 12 | 1 | 34° – 48° |
| December | 43° | 27° | 1.8" | 5.4" | 13 | 4 | 28° – 39° |
| Year | 65° | 39° | 15.5" | 15.7" | 100 | 13 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 43°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Gopher Flats’ 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 Gopher Flats’ center.
- Snow: Pendleton, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pendleton Branch Exp Stn, OR, 6 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 Gopher Flats’ climate
What is the weather like in Gopher Flats?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gopher Flats in winter?
December nights average 27°. About 125 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does Gopher Flats get?
About 16 inches in a normal winter at Pendleton, OR, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 13 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gopher Flats?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 55°. About 39 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Pendleton Branch Exp Stn, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Gopher Flats?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by September 27, about 135 frost-free days, at Pendleton Branch Exp Stn, OR.
What growing zone is Gopher Flats in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gopher Flats?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Gopher Flats getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 78% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gopher Flats.
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.