Photo: Sword Fern · CC BY-SA 3.0Wet weather: 55 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Sweet Home, more than in 94% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 35°. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 83% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.1° above 1901–2000. Radiators earn their keep from November to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Sweet Home at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Sweet Home’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Sweet Home’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Sweet Home feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 197 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 12 and the first by October 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Foster Dam, OR, 1.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Sweet Home’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 55 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 159 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.1" in a normal year at Foster Dam, OR, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Sweet Home
95% 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 Foster Dam, OR.
Living with Sweet Home’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
197 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 12 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 4.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Sweet Home from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Sweet Home and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Sweet Home yet.
Climates most like Sweet Home’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sweet Home, OR | 35° | 82° | 55" | 0.1" |
| Black Mountain, NC | 27° | 82° | 57" | 2.1" |
| Rochester, WA | 34° | 78° | 50" | 3.9" |
| Fairfield Glade, TN | 27° | 84° | 57" | 4.9" |
| Cumming, GA | 32° | 88° | 56" | 0.6" |
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 Sweet Home averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A smaller shift than in 67% 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 Sweet Home compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Sweet Home’s place among Oregon’s.
Sweet Home weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Sweet Home’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Foster Dam, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47° | 35° | 7.4" | 0.1" | 19 | 0 | 36° – 46° |
| February | 51° | 35° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 35° – 48° |
| March | 55° | 37° | 6.5" | 0.0" | 19 | 0 | 42° – 52° |
| April | 60° | 39° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| May | 67° | 44° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| June | 73° | 48° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| July | 82° | 51° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| August | 82° | 51° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| September | 76° | 47° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 59° – 65° |
| October | 63° | 42° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| November | 52° | 38° | 7.9" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 39° – 49° |
| December | 46° | 34° | 8.7" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 | 35° – 44° |
| Year | 63° | 42° | 55.4" | 0.1" | 159 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 48°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Sweet Home’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 Sweet Home’s center.
- Snow: Foster Dam, OR (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Foster Dam, OR, 1.5 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 Sweet Home’s climate
What is the weather like in Sweet Home?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Sweet Home in winter?
December nights average 34°. About 55 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Sweet Home get?
About 0.1 inches in a normal winter at Foster Dam, OR, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Sweet Home?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 51°. About 17 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Foster Dam, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Sweet Home?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 12 and the first fall frost by October 28, about 197 frost-free days, at Foster Dam, OR.
What growing zone is Sweet Home in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Sweet Home?
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 Sweet Home getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Sweet Home.
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.