Photo: User:Mdvaden at en.wikipedia Mario Vaden (M.D. Vaden of Oregon): resident of Ruch from 2005 to 2007 · Public domainRuch reaches 100° on about 11 days a year, more than 91% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Ruch at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ruch’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ruch’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Ruch feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ruch, OR, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ruch’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. 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 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Buncom 1 Nne, OR, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 26 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 107 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ruch
88% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Ruch, OR.
Living with Ruch’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
160 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by May 4 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October. 1.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ruch from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ruch and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ruch yet.
Climates most like Ruch’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ruch, OR | 32° | 89° | 26" | 3.6" |
| St. Helena, CA | 38° | 89° | 32" | 0.0" |
| Walla Walla, WA | 30° | 91° | 16" | 9.0" |
| Alpine, TX | 30° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
| Sierra Vista Southeast, AZ | 32° | 91° | 15" | 0.7" |
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 Ruch averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A bigger shift than in 64% 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 Ruch compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ruch’s place among Oregon’s.
Ruch weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ruch’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Buncom 1 Nne, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 49° | 32° | 3.9" | 1.2" | 13 | 1 | 36° – 46° |
| February | 53° | 33° | 2.9" | 0.8" | 12 | 1 | 36° – 49° |
| March | 57° | 35° | 2.9" | 0.6" | 14 | 0 | 41° – 52° |
| April | 62° | 38° | 2.3" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| May | 71° | 44° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 51° – 65° |
| June | 79° | 49° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| July | 89° | 56° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 64° – 77° |
| August | 89° | 55° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 82° | 49° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| October | 69° | 41° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| November | 53° | 36° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 13 | 0 | 38° – 49° |
| December | 46° | 32° | 5.0" | 0.7" | 15 | 1 | 35° – 44° |
| Year | 66° | 42° | 26.3" | 3.6" | 107 | 3 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. July swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 64° to 77°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Ruch’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 Ruch’s center.
- Snow: Buncom 1 Nne, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ruch, OR, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, 240 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 Ruch’s climate
What is the weather like in Ruch?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ruch in winter?
December nights average 32°. About 103 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Ruch get?
About 3.6 inches in a normal winter at Buncom 1 Nne, OR, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 3 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ruch?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 56°. About 65 days a year reach 90° and 11 reach 100° (Ruch, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Ruch?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 160 frost-free days, at Ruch, OR.
What growing zone is Ruch in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ruch?
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 Ruch getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ruch.
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.