Heppner Hotel · Photo: Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 3.0Less rain and snow falls on Heppner than on 94% of U.S. towns: 14 inches a year
July afternoons average 87°. May is the wettest month here, with about 5.5 times the rain of July. In January, nights here are milder than in 69% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 26; in half of years the first frost comes by October 19.
A year in Heppner at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Heppner’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Heppner’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Heppner feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 174 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 26 and the first by October 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Heppner, OR, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Heppner’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 13 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Heppner, OR, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 102 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Heppner
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 Heppner, OR.
Living with Heppner’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
174 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 26 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Heppner from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Heppner and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Heppner yet.
Climates most like Heppner’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heppner, OR | 28° | 87° | 14" | 13" |
| Silver City, NM | 26° | 87° | 16" | 13" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
| Prescott, AZ | 26° | 90° | 15" | 10" |
| Burley, ID | 21° | 89° | 10" | 21" |
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 Heppner averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°).
A bigger shift than in 75% 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 Heppner compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Heppner’s place among Oregon’s.
Heppner weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Heppner’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Heppner, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 28° | 1.4" | 3.0" | 11 | 5 | 26° – 40° |
| February | 47° | 28° | 1.2" | 3.4" | 10 | 3 | 29° – 45° |
| March | 54° | 32° | 1.4" | 0.9" | 12 | 1 | 37° – 49° |
| April | 61° | 36° | 1.6" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| May | 69° | 42° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| June | 77° | 48° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 70° |
| July | 87° | 53° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 74° |
| August | 86° | 52° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 77° | 45° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 64° | 37° | 1.3" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 56° |
| November | 50° | 31° | 1.5" | 0.9" | 12 | 1 | 35° – 47° |
| December | 42° | 27° | 1.4" | 4.3" | 12 | 4 | 28° – 38° |
| Year | 63° | 38° | 14.1" | 12.8" | 102 | 15 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 45°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Heppner’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 Heppner’s center.
- Snow: Heppner, OR (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Heppner, OR, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Heppner’s climate
What is the weather like in Heppner?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 13 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Heppner in winter?
December nights average 27°. About 106 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does Heppner get?
About 13 inches in a normal winter at Heppner, OR, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 15 days a year.
How hot does it get in Heppner?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 53°. About 28 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Heppner, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Heppner?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 26 and the first fall frost by October 19, about 174 frost-free days, at Heppner, OR.
What growing zone is Heppner 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 Heppner?
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 Heppner getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Heppner.
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.