Photo: Mt. Hood Territory · CC BY 2.0Government Camp gets about 233 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 1 U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 71°. Precipitation peaks in December and eases off in July. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on almost every U.S. town. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 27, with the first autumn frost due around October 9.
A year in Government Camp at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Government Camp’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Government Camp’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Government Camp feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 134 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 27 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Government Camp, OR, 0.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Government Camp’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 233 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Government Camp, OR, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 91 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 169 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Government Camp
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through June.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Government Camp, OR.
Living with Government Camp’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
134 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by May 27 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July, August and September. 2.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Government Camp from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Government Camp and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Government Camp yet.
Climates most like Government Camp’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government Camp, OR | 27° | 71° | 91" | 233" |
| Juneau, AK | 27° | 63° | 90" | 88" |
| Lee, NY | 12° | 80° | 50" | 151" |
| Waldoboro, ME | 14° | 75° | 49" | 79" |
| Incline Village, NV | 22° | 73° | 38" | 179" |
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 Government Camp averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
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 Government Camp compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Government Camp’s place among Oregon’s.
Government Camp weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Government Camp’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Government Camp, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 27° | 13.2" | 48.8" | 20 | 30 | 24° – 37° |
| February | 38° | 27° | 9.7" | 39.5" | 17 | 26 | 26° – 40° |
| March | 42° | 29° | 9.8" | 35.6" | 20 | 27 | 31° – 43° |
| April | 47° | 32° | 7.9" | 17.6" | 19 | 21 | 34° – 46° |
| May | 54° | 37° | 5.5" | 4.2" | 14 | 6 | 40° – 53° |
| June | 60° | 42° | 3.9" | 0.6" | 11 | 0 | 47° – 60° |
| July | 71° | 49° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| August | 71° | 49° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| September | 64° | 46° | 3.1" | 0.2" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| October | 52° | 38° | 8.4" | 3.8" | 13 | 2 | 40° – 50° |
| November | 41° | 31° | 13.1" | 30.6" | 19 | 15 | 29° – 40° |
| December | 35° | 26° | 14.5" | 51.6" | 21 | 29 | 26° – 34° |
| Year | 51° | 36° | 90.8" | 232.5" | 169 | 156 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 40°. December is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Government Camp’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 Government Camp’s center.
- Snow: Government Camp, OR (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Government Camp, OR, 0.5 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 Government Camp’s climate
What is the weather like in Government Camp?
A typical July afternoon reaches 71°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 233 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 88 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Government Camp in winter?
December nights average 26°. About 170 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Government Camp get?
About 233 inches in a normal winter at Government Camp, OR, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 156 days a year.
How hot does it get in Government Camp?
July, with a typical high of 71°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Government Camp, OR.
When is the first and last frost in Government Camp?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 27 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 134 frost-free days, at Government Camp, OR.
What growing zone is Government Camp in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Government Camp?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Government Camp 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 Government Camp.
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.