Photo: Finetooth · CC BY-SA 3.0Mitchell sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 12 inches a year
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 86°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 63% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Plan time outside for June and September, when highs sit at 75–77°.
A year in Mitchell at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mitchell’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mitchell’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Mitchell feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 135 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mitchell 2 E, OR, 1.9 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mitchell’s center in zone 7a: 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 12 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Mitchell
95% 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 Mitchell 2 E, OR.
Living with Mitchell’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
135 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by May 22 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 Mitchell from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mitchell and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mitchell yet.
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 Mitchell averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
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 Mitchell compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mitchell’s place among Oregon’s.
Mitchell weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mitchell’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 25° | 1.2" | 25° – 40° |
| February | 46° | 26° | 0.8" | 28° – 43° |
| March | 53° | 29° | 1.0" | 36° – 47° |
| April | 59° | 32° | 1.3" | 41° – 52° |
| May | 67° | 39° | 1.7" | 47° – 59° |
| June | 75° | 44° | 1.4" | 54° – 67° |
| July | 86° | 50° | 0.4" | 58° – 72° |
| August | 85° | 49° | 0.4" | 63° – 71° |
| September | 77° | 43° | 0.5" | 56° – 64° |
| October | 63° | 35° | 0.9" | 42° – 55° |
| November | 49° | 29° | 1.1" | 31° – 45° |
| December | 41° | 24° | 1.2" | 26° – 35° |
| Year | 62° | 35° | 11.9" |
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 8°.
Where Mitchell’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 Mitchell’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mitchell 2 E, OR, 1.9 miles from the town’s center, 200 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 Mitchell’s climate
What is the weather like in Mitchell?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 25°. Milder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mitchell in winter?
December nights average 24°. About 136 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 26°.
How hot does it get in Mitchell?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 50°. About 17 days a year reach 90° (Mitchell 2 E, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Mitchell?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 135 frost-free days, at Mitchell 2 E, OR.
What growing zone is Mitchell in?
Zone 7a 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 Mitchell?
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 Mitchell 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 Mitchell.
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.