Hugo Community Baptist Church · Photo: NoeHill · CC BY-SA 3.0Winter nights in Merlin are milder than in 80% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 89°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 73% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.6° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Tender plants can go out after about April 8; in half of years the first frost comes by October 28.
A year in Merlin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Merlin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Merlin’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Merlin feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 201 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 8 and the first by October 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Grants Pass, OR, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Merlin’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 20°. 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 36 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 121 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.9" in a normal year at Grants Pass, OR, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Merlin
85% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Grants Pass, OR.
Living with Merlin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
201 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 8 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 28.
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 Merlin from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Merlin and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Merlin yet.
Climates most like Merlin’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merlin, OR | 35° | 89° | 36" | 0.9" |
| Calistoga, CA | 38° | 89° | 35" | 0.0" |
| Indian Trail, NC | 31° | 90° | 43" | 2.1" |
| Rock Hill, SC | 31° | 90° | 44" | 0.2" |
| Thomson, GA | 35° | 91° | 46" | 0.5" |
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 Merlin averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
A bigger shift than in 66% 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 Merlin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Merlin’s place among Oregon’s.
Merlin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Merlin’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Grants Pass, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 35° | 6.2" | 0.6" | 17 | 0 | 37° – 48° |
| February | 54° | 35° | 4.6" | 0.1" | 14 | 0 | 37° – 50° |
| March | 59° | 36° | 4.4" | 0.1" | 16 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| April | 64° | 39° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| May | 73° | 45° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| June | 80° | 49° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 60° – 72° |
| July | 89° | 54° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 64° – 77° |
| August | 89° | 53° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 83° | 47° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| October | 70° | 41° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| November | 55° | 38° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 38° – 51° |
| December | 47° | 34° | 7.3" | 0.1" | 17 | 0 | 37° – 45° |
| Year | 68° | 42° | 36.4" | 0.9" | 121 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 52° to 66°. December is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Merlin’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 Merlin’s center.
- Snow: Grants Pass, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Grants Pass, OR, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Merlin’s climate
What is the weather like in Merlin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Merlin in winter?
December nights average 34°. About 65 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Merlin get?
About 0.9 inches in a normal winter at Grants Pass, OR, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Merlin?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 54°. About 55 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Grants Pass, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Merlin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 8 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 201 frost-free days, at Grants Pass, OR.
What growing zone is Merlin in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Merlin?
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 Merlin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Merlin.
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.