Photo: Cobrakeeper · CC BY-SA 4.0Riddle’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 36°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Riddle at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Riddle’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Riddle’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Riddle feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 221 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 31 and the first by November 6. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Riddle, OR, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Riddle’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 21°. 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Riddle, OR, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 34 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 147 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Riddle
85% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Riddle, OR.
Living with Riddle’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
221 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 31 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 6.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Riddle from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Riddle and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Riddle yet.
Climates most like Riddle’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Riddle, OR | 36° | 87° | 34" | 1.9" |
| Calistoga, CA | 38° | 89° | 35" | 0.0" |
| Salisbury, NC | 29° | 89° | 44" | 2.4" |
| Clover, SC | 31° | 90° | 45" | 1.2" |
| Virginia Beach, VA | 32° | 87° | 48" | 3.4" |
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 Riddle averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 72% 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 Riddle compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Riddle’s place among Oregon’s.
Riddle weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Riddle’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Riddle, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 50° | 36° | 5.1" | 0.5" | 19 | 0 | 37° – 49° |
| February | 54° | 36° | 3.9" | 0.7" | 17 | 0 | 38° – 50° |
| March | 59° | 37° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 18 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| April | 64° | 40° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| May | 71° | 45° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| June | 78° | 50° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| July | 87° | 54° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| August | 87° | 53° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 66° – 74° |
| September | 81° | 48° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 68° | 42° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| November | 55° | 40° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| December | 47° | 36° | 6.5" | 0.6" | 20 | 0 | 38° – 46° |
| Year | 67° | 43° | 33.9" | 1.9" | 147 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 38° to 50°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Riddle’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 Riddle’s center.
- Snow: Riddle, OR (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Riddle, OR, 0.4 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 Riddle’s climate
What is the weather like in Riddle?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 36°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 83% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Riddle in winter?
December nights average 36°. About 33 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 38°.
How much snow does Riddle get?
About 1.9 inches in a normal winter at Riddle, OR, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Riddle?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 54°. About 35 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Riddle, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Riddle?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 31 and the first fall frost by November 6, about 221 frost-free days, at Riddle, OR.
What growing zone is Riddle in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Riddle?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Riddle getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 72% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Riddle.
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.