Photo: Mt. Hood Territory · CC BY 2.0Sandy’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Sandy at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sandy’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sandy’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Sandy feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 239 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 27 and the first by November 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Headworks Portland Wtr B, OR, 7 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sandy’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 19°. 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 Eagle Creek 9 Se, OR, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 57 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 153 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Sandy
96% 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 Headworks Portland Wtr B, OR.
Living with Sandy’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
239 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 27 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 9.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sandy from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (29%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sandy and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sandy yet.
Climates most like Sandy’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandy, OR | 35° | 80° | 57" | 2.2" |
| Black Mountain, NC | 27° | 82° | 57" | 2.1" |
| Duvall, WA | 35° | 76° | 52" | 3.0" |
| Fairfield Glade, TN | 27° | 84° | 57" | 4.9" |
| Fort Payne, AL | 31° | 86° | 60" | 5.0" |
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 Sandy averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Sandy compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sandy’s place among Oregon’s.
Sandy weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sandy’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Eagle Creek 9 Se, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 35° | 7.3" | 0.7" | 18 | 1 | 35° – 45° |
| February | 49° | 36° | 5.7" | 0.9" | 15 | 1 | 36° – 48° |
| March | 54° | 38° | 6.4" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| April | 60° | 41° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| May | 67° | 46° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 72° | 50° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| July | 80° | 54° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| August | 80° | 54° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 75° | 50° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 59° – 65° |
| October | 62° | 44° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| November | 51° | 39° | 8.0" | 0.4" | 17 | 0 | 39° – 50° |
| December | 45° | 35° | 8.2" | 0.2" | 17 | 0 | 36° – 43° |
| Year | 62° | 43° | 57.3" | 2.2" | 153 | 2 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 48°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Sandy’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 Sandy’s center.
- Snow: Eagle Creek 9 Se, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Headworks Portland Wtr B, OR, 7 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Sandy’s climate
What is the weather like in Sandy?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 35°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sandy in winter?
December nights average 35°. About 32 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Sandy get?
About 2.2 inches in a normal winter at Eagle Creek 9 Se, OR, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 2 days a year.
How hot does it get in Sandy?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 54°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Headworks Portland Wtr B, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Sandy?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 27 and the first fall frost by November 18, about 239 frost-free days, at Headworks Portland Wtr B, OR.
What growing zone is Sandy in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sandy?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Sandy getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sandy.
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.