Photo: Finetooth · CC BY-SA 3.0Dry weather: only 13 inches of rain and melted snow a year in North Powder, less than in 95% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 86°. Temperatures cover 64° across the year, low to high. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from October to April, which average under 50°.
A year in North Powder at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about North Powder’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with North Powder’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in North Powder feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 111 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 25 and the first by September 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Baker City Muni Airport, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts North Powder’s center in zone 6a: 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 16 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Union, OR, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; May is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 115 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in North Powder
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 Baker City Muni Airport.
Living with North Powder’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
111 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 25 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 15.
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 North Powder from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 25%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →North Powder and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around North Powder yet.
Climates most like North Powder’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Powder, OR | 22° | 86° | 13" | 16" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Eldorado at Santa Fe, NM | 19° | 87° | 13" | 20" |
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 North Powder averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°).
A bigger shift than in 58% 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 North Powder compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with North Powder’s place among Oregon’s.
North Powder weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at North Powder’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Union, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 22° | 1.3" | 5.3" | 13 | 10 | 23° – 36° |
| February | 43° | 24° | 1.1" | 2.9" | 10 | 6 | 27° – 41° |
| March | 51° | 29° | 1.2" | 1.2" | 11 | 1 | 35° – 45° |
| April | 58° | 32° | 1.2" | 0.4" | 13 | 0 | 40° – 52° |
| May | 67° | 39° | 1.7" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| June | 74° | 44° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| July | 86° | 50° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 58° – 73° |
| August | 85° | 49° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 76° | 41° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| October | 62° | 33° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 54° |
| November | 46° | 27° | 1.3" | 1.4" | 13 | 1 | 30° – 43° |
| December | 38° | 22° | 1.6" | 4.9" | 12 | 8 | 23° – 34° |
| Year | 60° | 34° | 13.0" | 16.2" | 115 | 26 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. July swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 58° to 73°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where North Powder’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 North Powder’s center.
- Snow: Union, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Baker City Muni Airport, 14 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 North Powder’s climate
What is the weather like in North Powder?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 16 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 53% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 53% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in North Powder in winter?
December nights average 22°. About 191 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does North Powder get?
About 16 inches in a normal winter at Union, OR, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 26 days a year.
How hot does it get in North Powder?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 50°. About 27 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Baker City Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in North Powder?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 25 and the first fall frost by September 15, about 111 frost-free days, at Baker City Muni Airport.
What growing zone is North Powder in?
Zone 6a 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 North Powder?
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 North Powder getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 58% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in North Powder.
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.