Photo: Kingofthedead · CC BY-SA 4.0Dry weather: only 16 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Prairie City, less than in 92% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 86°. May is the wettest month here, with about 4.7 times the rain of August. Its January nights bite harder than in 65% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 28, with the first autumn frost due around September 18.
A year in Prairie City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Prairie City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Prairie City’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Prairie City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 113 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 28 and the first by September 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at John Day, OR, 13 miles from the town’s center, 470 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Prairie City’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 10 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at John Day, OR, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; May is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 103 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Prairie City
96% 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 John Day, OR.
Living with Prairie City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
113 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 28 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Prairie City from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Prairie City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Prairie City yet.
Climates most like Prairie City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie City, OR | 19° | 86° | 16" | 9.6" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Las Vegas, NM | 18° | 86° | 16" | 22" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
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 Prairie City averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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 Prairie City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Prairie City’s place among Oregon’s.
Prairie City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Prairie City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from John Day, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 19° | 1.8" | 3.5" | 11 | 21° – 34° |
| February | 43° | 21° | 1.3" | 1.4" | 9 | 25° – 39° |
| March | 51° | 25° | 1.6" | 1.2" | 10 | 33° – 43° |
| April | 57° | 29° | 1.7" | 0.3" | 12 | 38° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 36° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 45° – 56° |
| June | 74° | 41° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 54° – 65° |
| July | 86° | 46° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 56° – 71° |
| August | 85° | 44° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 60° – 68° |
| September | 76° | 38° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 53° – 62° |
| October | 62° | 30° | 1.3" | 0.2" | 8 | 39° – 52° |
| November | 46° | 24° | 1.7" | 1.0" | 11 | 29° – 41° |
| December | 37° | 18° | 1.9" | 2.0" | 11 | 21° – 32° |
| Year | 60° | 31° | 16.2" | 9.6" | 103 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. July swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 56° to 71°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Prairie City’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 Prairie City’s center.
- Snow: John Day, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: John Day, OR, 13 miles from the town’s center, 470 ft lower; 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 Prairie City’s climate
What is the weather like in Prairie City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Prairie City in winter?
December nights average 18°. About 163 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Prairie City get?
About 9.6 inches in a normal winter at John Day, OR, most of it in January.
How hot does it get in Prairie City?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 46°. About 39 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (John Day, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Prairie City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 28 and the first fall frost by September 18, about 113 frost-free days, at John Day, OR.
What growing zone is Prairie City in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Prairie City?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Prairie City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Prairie City.
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.