Photo: Kingofthedead · CC BY-SA 4.0Shaniko is drier than 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches of precipitation a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 26°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 81% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.3° rise. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from June to September, with highs of 71–82°.
A year in Shaniko at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Shaniko’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Shaniko’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Shaniko feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 131 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by October 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Antelope 6 Ssw, OR, 13 miles from the town’s center, 290 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Shaniko’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 Antelope 6 Ssw, OR, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 95 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Shaniko
94% 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 Antelope 6 Ssw, OR.
Living with Shaniko’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
131 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 22 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Shaniko from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (75%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Shaniko and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Shaniko yet.
Climates most like Shaniko’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaniko, OR | 26° | 82° | 16" | 9.7" |
| Ruidoso, NM | 22° | 82° | 20" | 26" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Pullman, WA | 27° | 84° | 20" | 33" |
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 Shaniko averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°).
A smaller shift than in 53% 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 Shaniko compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Shaniko’s place among Oregon’s.
Shaniko weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Shaniko’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Antelope 6 Ssw, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 26° | 2.1" | 2.0" | 11 | 22° – 38° |
| February | 42° | 26° | 1.6" | 1.0" | 10 | 25° – 42° |
| March | 49° | 29° | 1.4" | 0.7" | 10 | 33° – 46° |
| April | 55° | 32° | 1.5" | 1.0" | 10 | 38° – 50° |
| May | 64° | 39° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 45° – 57° |
| June | 71° | 44° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 52° – 67° |
| July | 82° | 51° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 56° – 71° |
| August | 81° | 51° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 61° – 71° |
| September | 73° | 46° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 56° – 63° |
| October | 59° | 37° | 1.4" | 0.2" | 8 | 42° – 54° |
| November | 46° | 29° | 2.0" | 1.2" | 10 | 31° – 44° |
| December | 38° | 24° | 2.2" | 3.6" | 12 | 26° – 35° |
| Year | 58° | 36° | 16.1" | 9.7" | 95 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 42°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Shaniko’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 Shaniko’s center.
- Snow: Antelope 6 Ssw, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Antelope 6 Ssw, OR, 13 miles from the town’s center, 290 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 Shaniko’s climate
What is the weather like in Shaniko?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 10 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Shaniko in winter?
December nights average 24°. About 152 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Shaniko get?
About 9.7 inches in a normal winter at Antelope 6 Ssw, OR, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Shaniko?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 51°. About 28 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Antelope 6 Ssw, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Shaniko?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by October 3, about 131 frost-free days, at Antelope 6 Ssw, OR.
What growing zone is Shaniko in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Shaniko?
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 Shaniko getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Shaniko.
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.