Photo: Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 3.0Dry weather: only 20 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Summerville, less than in 89% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 86°. In January, nights here are milder than in 62% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.5°, most of all in January. The heating season runs October to April: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Summerville at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Summerville’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Summerville’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Summerville feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 114 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by September 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Elgin, OR, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Summerville’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. 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 9 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at La Grande, OR, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 20 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 Summerville
96% 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 Elgin, OR.
Living with Summerville’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
114 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 24 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Summerville from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (25%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 22%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Summerville and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Summerville yet.
Climates most like Summerville’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summerville, OR | 25° | 86° | 20" | 9.4" |
| Silver City, NM | 26° | 87° | 16" | 13" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
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 Summerville averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 57% 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 Summerville compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Summerville’s place among Oregon’s.
Summerville weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Summerville’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from La Grande, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 25° | 2.4" | 3.3" | 10 | 23° – 37° |
| February | 44° | 26° | 1.8" | 1.0" | 8 | 27° – 42° |
| March | 52° | 30° | 1.9" | 0.8" | 10 | 36° – 46° |
| April | 59° | 34° | 2.0" | 0.1" | 10 | 41° – 54° |
| May | 68° | 40° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 75° | 46° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 56° – 68° |
| July | 86° | 51° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 59° – 73° |
| August | 86° | 49° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 77° | 42° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 55° – 64° |
| October | 62° | 34° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 42° – 55° |
| November | 47° | 29° | 2.3" | 1.2" | 10 | 32° – 45° |
| December | 39° | 24° | 2.7" | 3.0" | 11 | 25° – 36° |
| Year | 61° | 36° | 20.1" | 9.4" | 95 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 37°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Summerville’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 Summerville’s center.
- Snow: La Grande, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Elgin, OR, 7 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 Summerville’s climate
What is the weather like in Summerville?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 9 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 57% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Summerville in winter?
December nights average 24°. About 164 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Summerville get?
About 9.4 inches in a normal winter at La Grande, OR, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Summerville?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 51°. About 31 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Elgin, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Summerville?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by September 18, about 114 frost-free days, at Elgin, OR.
What growing zone is Summerville in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Summerville?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Summerville getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Summerville.
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.