Photo: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives · CC BY 4.0July in Mount Hood stays fresher than in 89% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 28°. Rain follows the seasons: December brings about 33 times as much as July. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 83% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from May to September brings highs of 65–81°.
A year in Mount Hood at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Mount Hood’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Mount Hood’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Mount Hood feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 142 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 13 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Parkdale 1 Nne, OR, 1.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Mount Hood’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 6°. 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 54 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Parkdale 1 Nne, OR, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 126 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Mount Hood
98% 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 Parkdale 1 Nne, OR.
Living with Mount Hood’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
142 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by May 13 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 4.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Mount Hood from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (48%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Mount Hood and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Mount Hood yet.
Climates most like Mount Hood’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Hood, OR | 28° | 81° | 33" | 54" |
| Porter, NY | 21° | 79° | 33" | 55" |
| Sandpoint, ID | 23° | 83° | 31" | 62" |
| Rocky River, OH | 23° | 81° | 38" | 64" |
| Trenton, MI | 20° | 83° | 35" | 54" |
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 Mount Hood averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
A smaller shift than in 52% 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 Mount Hood compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Mount Hood’s place among Oregon’s.
Mount Hood weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Mount Hood’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Parkdale 1 Nne, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 28° | 5.1" | 16.6" | 16 | 18 | 25° – 39° |
| February | 43° | 29° | 3.7" | 8.8" | 12 | 11 | 29° – 43° |
| March | 50° | 32° | 3.4" | 4.1" | 14 | 3 | 37° – 48° |
| April | 56° | 36° | 2.2" | 1.0" | 13 | 0 | 41° – 52° |
| May | 65° | 42° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| June | 71° | 47° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 69° |
| July | 81° | 52° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 57° – 70° |
| August | 81° | 52° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| September | 73° | 46° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 56° – 64° |
| October | 60° | 38° | 2.7" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 54° |
| November | 46° | 32° | 5.2" | 5.0" | 18 | 4 | 34° – 44° |
| December | 38° | 27° | 6.9" | 18.2" | 17 | 16 | 28° – 36° |
| Year | 59° | 38° | 32.7" | 53.9" | 126 | 51 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. June swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 54° to 69°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Mount Hood’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 Mount Hood’s center.
- Snow: Parkdale 1 Nne, OR (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Parkdale 1 Nne, OR, 1.1 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 Mount Hood’s climate
What is the weather like in Mount Hood?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 28°, and about 54 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Mount Hood in winter?
December nights average 27°. About 134 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does Mount Hood get?
About 54 inches in a normal winter at Parkdale 1 Nne, OR, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 51 days a year.
How hot does it get in Mount Hood?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 52°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Parkdale 1 Nne, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Mount Hood?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 13 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 142 frost-free days, at Parkdale 1 Nne, OR.
What growing zone is Mount Hood in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Mount Hood?
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 Mount Hood getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Mount Hood.
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.