Photo: Lbfergus · CC BY-SA 4.0Metolius is among the driest of U.S. towns: 11 inches of precipitation a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 26°. Only 63° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 65% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 19 to October 4.
A year in Metolius at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Metolius’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Metolius’ place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Metolius feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 19 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Madras 2 N, OR, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Metolius’ 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 14 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Madras 2 N, OR, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 11 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 79 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Metolius
94% 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 Madras 2 N, OR.
Living with Metolius’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 19 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: June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Metolius from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Metolius and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Metolius yet.
Climates most like Metolius’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metolius, OR | 26° | 87° | 11" | 14" |
| East Wenatchee, WA | 24° | 88° | 10" | 17" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
| Silver City, NM | 26° | 87° | 16" | 13" |
| 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 Metolius averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Metolius compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Metolius’ place among Oregon’s.
Metolius weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Metolius’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Madras 2 N, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 26° | 1.4" | 5.3" | 10 | 23° – 39° |
| February | 47° | 27° | 1.1" | 2.2" | 8 | 28° – 43° |
| March | 54° | 30° | 0.9" | 1.2" | 7 | 35° – 47° |
| April | 60° | 33° | 1.0" | 0.1" | 8 | 42° – 53° |
| May | 69° | 39° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 77° | 44° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 57° – 68° |
| July | 87° | 50° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 3 | 60° – 72° |
| August | 86° | 49° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 78° | 43° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 57° – 64° |
| October | 64° | 35° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 44° – 54° |
| November | 49° | 29° | 1.3" | 1.1" | 8 | 31° – 45° |
| December | 41° | 25° | 1.5" | 4.2" | 10 | 26° – 37° |
| Year | 63° | 36° | 11.0" | 14.1" | 79 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 39°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Metolius’ 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 Metolius’ center.
- Snow: Madras 2 N, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Madras 2 N, OR, 5 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 Metolius’ climate
What is the weather like in Metolius?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 14 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Metolius in winter?
December nights average 25°. About 143 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 26°.
How much snow does Metolius get?
About 14 inches in a normal winter at Madras 2 N, OR, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Metolius?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 50°. About 31 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Madras 2 N, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Metolius?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 136 frost-free days, at Madras 2 N, OR.
What growing zone is Metolius 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 Metolius?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Metolius getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Metolius.
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.