Dry weather: only 20 inches of rain and melted snow a year in McKay, less than in 89% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 85°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 58°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 69% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings suit May, June and September, with highs of 66–75°.
A year in McKay at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about McKay’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with McKay’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in McKay feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 147 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pilot Rock 1 Se, OR, 7 miles from the town’s center, 450 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts McKay’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 2°. 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 Pilot Rock 1 Se, OR, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 20 inches a year; May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 94 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in McKay
90% 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 Pilot Rock 1 Se, OR.
Living with McKay’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
147 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 7 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in McKay from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (52%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →McKay and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around McKay yet.
Climates most like McKay’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McKay, OR | 27° | 85° | 20" | 10" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
| Silver City, NM | 26° | 87° | 16" | 13" |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | 26° | 83° | 26" | 27" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
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 McKay averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.9°).
A bigger 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 McKay compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with McKay’s place among Oregon’s.
McKay weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at McKay’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pilot Rock 1 Se, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 41° | 27° | 2.1" | 3.7" | 10 | 5 | 25° – 39° |
| February | 45° | 28° | 1.8" | 2.1" | 9 | 3 | 28° – 43° |
| March | 52° | 32° | 2.1" | 0.5" | 11 | 1 | 36° – 47° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 74° | 47° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| July | 85° | 53° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 73° |
| August | 84° | 52° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 75° | 47° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 58° – 65° |
| October | 62° | 38° | 1.6" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 44° – 56° |
| November | 48° | 32° | 2.3" | 1.1" | 11 | 1 | 34° – 47° |
| December | 40° | 26° | 2.2" | 2.6" | 11 | 4 | 27° – 37° |
| Year | 61° | 38° | 19.9" | 10.1" | 94 | 13 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 43°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where McKay’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 McKay’s center.
- Snow: Pilot Rock 1 Se, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pilot Rock 1 Se, OR, 7 miles from the town’s center, 450 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 McKay’s climate
What is the weather like in McKay?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in McKay in winter?
December nights average 26°. About 118 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 McKay get?
About 10 inches in a normal winter at Pilot Rock 1 Se, OR, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 13 days a year.
How hot does it get in McKay?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 53°. About 44 days a year reach 90° and 7 reach 100° (Pilot Rock 1 Se, OR).
When is the first and last frost in McKay?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 147 frost-free days, at Pilot Rock 1 Se, OR.
What growing zone is McKay in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 2°.
What is the best time of year to visit McKay?
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 McKay getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in McKay.
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.