Photo: Finetooth · CC BY-SA 3.0Mill City’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Mill City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mill City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mill City’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Mill City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 270 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 9 and the first by December 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Detroit Dam, OR, 11 miles from the town’s center, 380 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mill City’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 16 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Stayton 6 Ene, OR, falls mostly in March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 73 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 173 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Mill City
93% 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 Detroit Dam, OR.
Living with Mill City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
270 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 9 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 0.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mill City from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mill City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mill City yet.
Climates most like Mill City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mill City, OR | 33° | 80° | 73" | 16" |
| North Bend, WA | 34° | 76° | 72" | 3.6" |
| Brevard, NC | 27° | 83° | 69" | 7.1" |
| Crossville, TN | 27° | 84° | 59" | 14" |
| Fort Payne, AL | 31° | 86° | 60" | 5.0" |
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 Mill City averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A smaller shift than in 63% 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 Mill City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mill City’s place among Oregon’s.
Mill City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mill City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Stayton 6 Ene, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 33° | 9.7" | 3.6" | 18 | 3 | 33° – 45° |
| February | 49° | 33° | 7.5" | 3.9" | 18 | 3 | 34° – 47° |
| March | 53° | 35° | 8.4" | 4.4" | 21 | 2 | 40° – 50° |
| April | 58° | 38° | 6.8" | 0.4" | 19 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| May | 66° | 43° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 71° | 47° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| July | 80° | 51° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| August | 80° | 50° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| September | 74° | 46° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| October | 61° | 40° | 6.5" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| November | 50° | 36° | 10.4" | 0.2" | 20 | 0 | 37° – 47° |
| December | 43° | 33° | 11.3" | 3.5" | 20 | 3 | 33° – 41° |
| Year | 61° | 40° | 73.0" | 16.0" | 173 | 11 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 47°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Mill City’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 Mill City’s center.
- Snow: Stayton 6 Ene, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Detroit Dam, OR, 11 miles from the town’s center, 380 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 Mill City’s climate
What is the weather like in Mill City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mill City in winter?
December nights average 33°. About 46 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Mill City get?
About 16 inches in a normal winter at Stayton 6 Ene, OR, most of it in March, with snow on the ground about 11 days a year.
How hot does it get in Mill City?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 51°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Detroit Dam, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Mill City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 9 and the first fall frost by December 3, about 270 frost-free days, at Detroit Dam, OR.
What growing zone is Mill City in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Mill City?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Mill City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 63% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mill City.
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.