Photo: Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns get more rain and snow than Rhododendron: 91 inches a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 75° on average. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 98% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.2°, most of all in January. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 5, with the first autumn frost due around November 8.
A year in Rhododendron at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rhododendron’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rhododendron’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Rhododendron feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 217 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 5 and the first by November 8. Frost and day counts come from Three Lynx, OR, 17 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rhododendron’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 7°. 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 5 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Three Lynx, OR, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 91 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 176 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rhododendron
97% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through June.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Three Lynx, OR.
Living with Rhododendron’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
217 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 5 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 12 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rhododendron from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rhododendron and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rhododendron yet.
Climates most like Rhododendron’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rhododendron, OR | 29° | 75° | 91" | 5.0" |
| Sultan, WA | 35° | 76° | 75" | 3.0" |
| Brevard, NC | 27° | 83° | 69" | 7.1" |
| Signal Mountain, TN | 29° | 85° | 62" | 4.3" |
| Crescent City, CA | 42° | 64° | 69" | 0.0" |
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 Rhododendron averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
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 Rhododendron compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rhododendron’s place among Oregon’s.
Rhododendron weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rhododendron’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Three Lynx, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 29° | 13.4" | 3.1" | 20 | 1 | 27° – 40° |
| February | 42° | 29° | 9.6" | 0.2" | 18 | 1 | 29° – 43° |
| March | 47° | 31° | 10.1" | 0.5" | 21 | 0 | 34° – 47° |
| April | 52° | 34° | 7.9" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 | 38° – 50° |
| May | 60° | 40° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 44° – 57° |
| June | 65° | 45° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 50° – 63° |
| July | 75° | 49° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| August | 75° | 49° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| September | 69° | 45° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 61° |
| October | 56° | 38° | 8.4" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| November | 44° | 33° | 13.1" | 0.4" | 20 | 0 | 32° – 43° |
| December | 38° | 28° | 14.3" | 0.8" | 22 | 1 | 29° – 36° |
| Year | 55° | 37° | 91.1" | 5.0" | 176 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 43°. December is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Rhododendron’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 Rhododendron’s center.
- Snow: Three Lynx, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Three Lynx, OR, 17 miles from the town’s center, 960 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Rhododendron’s climate
What is the weather like in Rhododendron?
A typical July afternoon reaches 75°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 5 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rhododendron in winter?
December nights average 28°. About 73 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How much snow does Rhododendron get?
About 5.0 inches in a normal winter at Three Lynx, OR, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rhododendron?
July, with a typical high of 75° and a low of 49°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Three Lynx, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Rhododendron?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 5 and the first fall frost by November 8, about 217 frost-free days, at Three Lynx, OR.
What growing zone is Rhododendron in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 7°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rhododendron?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Rhododendron 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 Rhododendron.
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.