Photo: Sam Beebe · CC BY 2.0Less rain and snow falls on Hood River than on 88% of U.S. towns: 23 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 32°. In January, nights here are milder than in 75% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.4° above 1901–2000. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to March, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Hood River at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hood River’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hood River’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Hood River feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 177 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 20 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hood Rvr Exp Stn, OR, 1.7 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hood River’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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 17 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Hood Rvr Exp Stn, OR, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 23 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 132 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hood River
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 Hood Rvr Exp Stn, OR.
Living with Hood River’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
177 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 20 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 6.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hood River from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 23%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hood River and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hood River yet.
Climates most like Hood River’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hood River, OR | 32° | 85° | 23" | 17" |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | 26° | 83° | 26" | 27" |
| Pullman, WA | 27° | 84° | 20" | 33" |
| Lake Arrowhead, CA | 33° | 83° | 33" | 22" |
| Silver City, NM | 26° | 87° | 16" | 13" |
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 Hood River averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Hood River compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hood River’s place among Oregon’s.
Hood River weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hood River’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hood Rvr Exp Stn, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 32° | 3.8" | 6.9" | 19 | 6 | 28° – 42° |
| February | 48° | 33° | 2.6" | 2.5" | 15 | 2 | 33° – 47° |
| March | 56° | 36° | 2.2" | 0.7" | 15 | 1 | 41° – 52° |
| April | 63° | 40° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 58° |
| May | 71° | 47° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| June | 76° | 52° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| July | 85° | 57° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| August | 85° | 56° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| September | 78° | 49° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 60° – 67° |
| October | 65° | 41° | 1.9" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| November | 50° | 36° | 3.4" | 1.5" | 18 | 1 | 38° – 48° |
| December | 42° | 32° | 4.5" | 5.5" | 19 | 3 | 32° – 40° |
| Year | 63° | 43° | 22.6" | 17.2" | 132 | 12 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 42°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Hood River’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 Hood River’s center.
- Snow: Hood Rvr Exp Stn, OR (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hood Rvr Exp Stn, OR, 1.7 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft higher; 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 Hood River’s climate
What is the weather like in Hood River?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hood River in winter?
December nights average 32°. About 92 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 32°.
How much snow does Hood River get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter at Hood Rvr Exp Stn, OR, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 12 days a year.
How hot does it get in Hood River?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 57°. About 21 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Hood Rvr Exp Stn, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Hood River?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 20 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 177 frost-free days, at Hood Rvr Exp Stn, OR.
What growing zone is Hood River in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hood River?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Hood River getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hood River.
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.