Photo: Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 3.0Molalla has cooler summers than 85% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 36°. Rain follows the seasons: December brings about 14 times as much as July. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 81% of U.S. towns. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from November to March, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Molalla at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Molalla’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Molalla’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Molalla feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 247 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 16 and the first by November 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Molalla 7ne, OR, 4 miles from the town’s center, 290 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Molalla’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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Estacada 2 Se, OR, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 47 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 177 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Molalla
92% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Molalla 7ne, OR.
Living with Molalla’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
247 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 16 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Molalla from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Molalla and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Molalla yet.
Climates most like Molalla’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Molalla, OR | 36° | 81° | 47" | 1.1" |
| Ben Lomond, CA | 40° | 79° | 43" | 0.0" |
| Swannanoa, NC | 27° | 83° | 48" | 2.1" |
| Maplewood, WA | 36° | 77° | 46" | 0.3" |
| Brigantine, NJ | 28° | 83° | 45" | 10" |
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 Molalla averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
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 Molalla compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Molalla’s place among Oregon’s.
Molalla weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Molalla’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Estacada 2 Se, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 36° | 6.1" | 0.6" | 20 | 0 | 35° – 46° |
| February | 51° | 36° | 4.8" | 0.4" | 18 | 0 | 37° – 49° |
| March | 56° | 38° | 5.2" | 0.1" | 20 | 0 | 44° – 52° |
| April | 61° | 41° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| June | 73° | 51° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 81° | 55° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| August | 82° | 54° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 76° | 50° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 60° – 65° |
| October | 64° | 44° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 50° – 58° |
| November | 53° | 39° | 6.9" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| December | 46° | 35° | 7.4" | 0.0" | 21 | 0 | 35° – 44° |
| Year | 63° | 44° | 47.3" | 1.1" | 177 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 49°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Molalla’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 Molalla’s center.
- Snow: Estacada 2 Se, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Molalla 7ne, OR, 4 miles from the town’s center, 290 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 Molalla’s climate
What is the weather like in Molalla?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 36°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Molalla in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 42 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Molalla get?
About 1.1 inches in a normal winter at Estacada 2 Se, OR, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Molalla?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 55°. About 17 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Molalla 7ne, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Molalla?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 16 and the first fall frost by November 19, about 247 frost-free days, at Molalla 7ne, OR.
What growing zone is Molalla 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 Molalla?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Molalla 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 Molalla.
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.