Photo: Mike Lemmon · CC BY 2.0Few U.S. towns get less rain and snow than Plush: 9 inches a year
January nights here settle around 22°. In July, afternoons here are warmer than in 64% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.8° above 1901–2000. Plan time outside for June and September, when highs sit at 77–78°.
A year in Plush at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Plush’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Plush’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Plush feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze is possible in every month
About 207 nights a year fall to 32° or below, and 5 to 0° or below. Frost dates and degree days from Hart Mtn Refuge, OR, 16 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Plush’s center in zone 6b: 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 9 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 Plush
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 Hart Mtn Refuge, OR.
Living with Plush’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 6b, and frost can come in any month. The longest frost-free stretch in half of years is about 70 days.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 2.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Plush from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Plush and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Plush 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 Plush averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
A bigger shift than in 77% 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 Plush compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Plush’s place among Oregon’s.
Plush weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Plush’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 22° | 0.9" | 25° – 39° |
| February | 45° | 23° | 0.8" | 27° – 41° |
| March | 52° | 27° | 0.8" | 34° – 46° |
| April | 58° | 30° | 1.1" | 39° – 50° |
| May | 67° | 37° | 1.4" | 46° – 60° |
| June | 77° | 43° | 0.8" | 55° – 68° |
| July | 87° | 50° | 0.4" | 58° – 73° |
| August | 86° | 48° | 0.3" | 62° – 71° |
| September | 78° | 40° | 0.4" | 55° – 64° |
| October | 64° | 32° | 0.7" | 42° – 55° |
| November | 50° | 26° | 0.9" | 29° – 44° |
| December | 41° | 20° | 1.1" | 25° – 34° |
| Year | 62° | 33° | 9.4" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 44°. December is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Plush’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 Plush’s center.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Hart Mtn Refuge, OR, 16 miles away.
- 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 Plush’s climate
What is the weather like in Plush?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 22°. Milder January nights than 51% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 64% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Plush in winter?
December nights average 20°. About 207 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How hot does it get in Plush?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 50°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Hart Mtn Refuge, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Plush?
There is no reliable frost-free season: at Hart Mtn Refuge, OR, every month has nights at 32° or below, about 207 a year. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 70 days.
What growing zone is Plush in?
Zone 6b 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 Plush?
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 Plush getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Plush.
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.