Photo: Trashbag · CC BY-SA 3.0Less rain and snow falls on John Day than on 94% of U.S. towns: 14 inches a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 87°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 67°. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in John Day at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about John Day’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with John Day’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in John Day feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 113 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 28 and the first by September 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at John Day, OR, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts John Day’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. 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 10 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at John Day, OR, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; May is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 103 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in John Day
96% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. 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 John Day, OR.
Living with John Day’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
113 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 28 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June. 2.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in John Day from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (73%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →John Day and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around John Day yet.
Climates most like John Day’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Day, OR | 21° | 87° | 14" | 9.6" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| 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 John Day averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
A smaller shift than in 82% 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 John Day compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with John Day’s place among Oregon’s.
John Day weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at John Day’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from John Day, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 21° | 1.4" | 3.5" | 11 | 22° – 36° |
| February | 44° | 22° | 0.9" | 1.4" | 9 | 26° – 41° |
| March | 51° | 26° | 1.3" | 1.2" | 10 | 34° – 43° |
| April | 57° | 30° | 1.5" | 0.3" | 12 | 39° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 37° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 46° – 58° |
| June | 75° | 42° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 54° – 66° |
| July | 87° | 47° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 56° – 72° |
| August | 86° | 45° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 61° – 69° |
| September | 77° | 39° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 54° – 62° |
| October | 62° | 31° | 1.2" | 0.2" | 8 | 39° – 52° |
| November | 47° | 26° | 1.4" | 1.0" | 11 | 30° – 43° |
| December | 38° | 20° | 1.5" | 2.0" | 11 | 22° – 33° |
| Year | 61° | 32° | 13.7" | 9.6" | 103 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. July swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 56° to 72°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where John Day’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 John Day’s center.
- Snow: John Day, OR (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: John Day, OR, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, 120 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 John Day’s climate
What is the weather like in John Day?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in John Day in winter?
December nights average 20°. About 163 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does John Day get?
About 9.6 inches in a normal winter at John Day, OR, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in John Day?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 47°. About 39 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (John Day, OR).
When is the first and last frost in John Day?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 28 and the first fall frost by September 18, about 113 frost-free days, at John Day, OR.
What growing zone is John Day in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit John Day?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is John Day getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in John Day.
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.