Photo: Sam Beebe · CC BY 2.0Few U.S. towns have cooler summers than Heceta Beach
In January the night’s low is typically 40°. Rain follows the seasons: December brings about 22 times as much as July. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on almost every U.S. town. Garden chairs stay out from June to September, the months with highs of 63–67°.
A year in Heceta Beach at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Heceta Beach’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Heceta Beach’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Heceta Beach feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 220 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 10 and the first by November 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Florence #2, OR, 1.8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Heceta Beach’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 26°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 73 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 179 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.6" in a normal year at Florence #2, OR, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Heceta Beach
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. 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 Florence #2, OR.
Living with Heceta Beach’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
220 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Apr 10 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 2.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Heceta Beach from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (61%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Heceta Beach and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Heceta Beach yet.
Climates most like Heceta Beach’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heceta Beach, OR | 40° | 66° | 73" | 0.6" |
| Crescent City, CA | 42° | 64° | 69" | 0.0" |
| Aberdeen, WA | 37° | 68° | 80" | 0.5" |
| Kodiak, AK | 26° | 62° | 78" | 70" |
| Boone, NC | 24° | 79° | 58" | 26" |
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 Heceta Beach averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 58% 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 Heceta Beach compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Heceta Beach’s place among Oregon’s.
Heceta Beach weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Heceta Beach’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Florence #2, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 40° | 11.3" | 0.3" | 20 | 0 | 41° – 51° |
| February | 53° | 40° | 8.3" | 0.1" | 20 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| March | 54° | 40° | 8.6" | 0.0" | 22 | 0 | 44° – 52° |
| April | 56° | 42° | 6.1" | 0.1" | 19 | 0 | 45° – 54° |
| May | 60° | 46° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| June | 63° | 49° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 53° – 59° |
| July | 66° | 51° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 62° |
| August | 67° | 52° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 62° |
| September | 66° | 50° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 55° – 61° |
| October | 61° | 47° | 6.1" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 51° – 58° |
| November | 55° | 43° | 10.4" | 0.1" | 20 | 0 | 43° – 52° |
| December | 50° | 39° | 12.3" | 0.0" | 21 | 0 | 41° – 48° |
| Year | 58° | 45° | 72.6" | 0.6" | 179 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 40° to 51°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Heceta Beach’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 Heceta Beach’s center.
- Snow: Florence #2, OR (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Florence #2, OR, 1.8 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 Heceta Beach’s climate
What is the weather like in Heceta Beach?
A typical July afternoon reaches 66°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 33 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Heceta Beach in winter?
December nights average 39°. About 32 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How much snow does Heceta Beach get?
About 0.6 inches in a normal winter at Florence #2, OR, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Heceta Beach?
July, with a typical high of 66°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Florence #2, OR.
When is the first and last frost in Heceta Beach?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 10 and the first fall frost by November 15, about 220 frost-free days, at Florence #2, OR.
What growing zone is Heceta Beach in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Heceta Beach?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Heceta Beach getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Heceta Beach.
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.