Photo: Glenn Scofield Williams · CC BY 2.0The Dalles’ winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 31°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in The Dalles at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about The Dalles’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with The Dalles’ place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in The Dalles 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 11 and the first by October 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at The Dalles Muni Airport, 1.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts The Dalles’ center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 11°. 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 6 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at The Dalles, OR, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 87 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in The Dalles
85% of the work is heating. 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 The Dalles Muni Airport.
Living with The Dalles’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
197 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 11 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, September and October. 3.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in The Dalles from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →The Dalles and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around The Dalles yet.
Climates most like The Dalles’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Dalles, OR | 31° | 88° | 15" | 5.5" |
| Alpine, TX | 30° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
| Silver City, NM | 26° | 87° | 16" | 13" |
| Prescott, AZ | 26° | 90° | 15" | 10" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
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 The Dalles averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
A smaller shift than in 59% 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 The Dalles compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with The Dalles’ place among Oregon’s.
The Dalles weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at The Dalles’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from The Dalles, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 43° | 31° | 2.4" | 1.9" | 12 | 26° – 42° |
| February | 49° | 32° | 1.6" | 0.8" | 10 | 31° – 46° |
| March | 57° | 36° | 1.3" | 0.1" | 10 | 39° – 51° |
| April | 64° | 41° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 48° – 59° |
| May | 73° | 48° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 56° – 66° |
| June | 79° | 54° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 3 | 62° – 75° |
| July | 88° | 59° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 66° – 77° |
| August | 88° | 58° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 68° – 77° |
| September | 80° | 51° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 63° – 69° |
| October | 66° | 41° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 51° | 35° | 2.1" | 0.7" | 12 | 37° – 48° |
| December | 42° | 31° | 2.7" | 2.0" | 11 | 31° – 40° |
| Year | 65° | 43° | 14.6" | 5.5" | 87 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 26° to 42°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where The Dalles’ 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 The Dalles’ center.
- Snow: The Dalles, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: The Dalles Muni Airport, 1.6 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 The Dalles’ climate
What is the weather like in The Dalles?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 31°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 67% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in The Dalles in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 72 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does The Dalles get?
About 5.5 inches in a normal winter at The Dalles, OR, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in The Dalles?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 59°. About 43 days a year reach 90° and 8 reach 100° (The Dalles Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in The Dalles?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by October 26, about 197 frost-free days, at The Dalles Muni Airport.
What growing zone is The Dalles in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 11°.
What is the best time of year to visit The Dalles?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is The Dalles getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 59% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in The Dalles.
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.