Photo: SkatePark in Main City Park, Gresham, Oregon.jpg · CC BY 4.0Summer arrives softly in Gresham, cooler than in 88% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 36°. Winter and summer sit 46° apart. Its yearly precipitation tops that of 87% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly March 16 to November 20.
A year in Gresham at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gresham’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gresham’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Gresham feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 250 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 16 and the first by November 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Portland Troutdale Airport, 4 miles from the city’s center point, 310 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gresham’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 20°. 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 3 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Portland Wfo, OR, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 51 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 163 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gresham
91% 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 Portland Troutdale Airport.
Living with Gresham’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
250 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 16 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 19 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gresham from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gresham and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Gresham in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Gresham’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gresham, OR | 36° | 81° | 51" | 3.4" |
| Duvall, WA | 35° | 76° | 52" | 3.0" |
| Swannanoa, NC | 27° | 83° | 48" | 2.1" |
| Ben Lomond, CA | 40° | 79° | 43" | 0.0" |
| Brigantine, NJ | 28° | 83° | 45" | 10" |
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 Gresham averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A bigger shift than in 53% 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. In a city of 112,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Gresham compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gresham’s place among Oregon’s.
Gresham weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gresham’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Portland Wfo, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 36° | 6.9" | 1.0" | 20 | 1 | 34° – 45° |
| February | 51° | 37° | 5.2" | 0.9" | 17 | 1 | 37° – 49° |
| March | 56° | 39° | 5.5" | 0.1" | 19 | 0 | 44° – 52° |
| April | 61° | 42° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| May | 69° | 48° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| June | 73° | 52° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 56° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| August | 82° | 56° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| September | 76° | 51° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 66° |
| October | 64° | 45° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| November | 52° | 40° | 7.6" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 | 40° – 52° |
| December | 46° | 36° | 7.8" | 1.4" | 20 | 1 | 36° – 44° |
| Year | 63° | 45° | 51.2" | 3.4" | 163 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 49°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Gresham’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 Gresham’s center.
- Snow: Portland Wfo, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Portland Troutdale Airport, 4 miles from the city’s center point, 310 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 Gresham’s climate
What is the weather like in Gresham?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 36°, and about 3 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gresham in winter?
December nights average 36°. About 28 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Gresham get?
About 3.4 inches in a normal winter at Portland Wfo, OR, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gresham?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 56°. About 16 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Portland Troutdale Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Gresham?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 16 and the first fall frost by November 20, about 250 frost-free days, at Portland Troutdale Airport.
What growing zone is Gresham in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gresham?
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 Gresham getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gresham.
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.