Photo: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives · CC BY 4.0Precipitation in Helix trails that of 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches a year
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 87°. Winter and summer sit 59° apart. By January nights alone, it runs milder than 71% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 12, with the first autumn frost due around September 27.
A year in Helix at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Helix’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Helix’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Helix 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, 9 miles from the town’s center, 270 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Helix’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 15 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pendleton Branch Exp Stn, OR, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Helix
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 Helix’s 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, September and October. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Helix from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 25%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Helix and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Helix yet.
Climates most like Helix’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helix, OR | 29° | 87° | 16" | 15" |
| Silver City, NM | 26° | 87° | 16" | 13" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
| Prescott, AZ | 26° | 90° | 15" | 10" |
| Yreka, CA | 29° | 91° | 20" | 12" |
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 Helix averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°).
A bigger 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 Helix compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Helix’s place among Oregon’s.
Helix weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Helix’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pendleton Branch Exp Stn, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 29° | 2.1" | 5.3" | 15 | 7 | 23° – 43° |
| February | 46° | 30° | 1.5" | 2.5" | 12 | 4 | 27° – 44° |
| March | 54° | 34° | 1.6" | 0.6" | 13 | 1 | 35° – 49° |
| April | 61° | 38° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| May | 69° | 45° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 50° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 59° – 71° |
| July | 87° | 57° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| August | 87° | 57° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 77° | 50° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| October | 63° | 41° | 1.3" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| November | 48° | 33° | 2.0" | 1.5" | 14 | 2 | 34° – 47° |
| December | 40° | 28° | 2.1" | 4.8" | 16 | 6 | 27° – 39° |
| Year | 62° | 41° | 16.4" | 14.9" | 116 | 18 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 43°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Helix’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 Helix’s center.
- Snow: Pendleton Branch Exp Stn, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pendleton Branch Exp Stn, OR, 9 miles from the town’s center, 270 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 Helix’s climate
What is the weather like in Helix?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Helix in winter?
December nights average 28°. 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 27°.
How much snow does Helix get?
About 15 inches in a normal winter at Pendleton Branch Exp Stn, OR, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 18 days a year.
How hot does it get in Helix?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 57°. About 39 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Pendleton Branch Exp Stn, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Helix?
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 Helix in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Helix?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Helix getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Helix.
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.