Photo: Jcon64.28 · CC BY-SA 4.0Umatilla sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 9 inches a year
Expect July afternoons of about 91°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 82% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.1° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Tender plants can go out after about March 27; in half of years the first frost comes by November 4.
A year in Umatilla at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Umatilla’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Umatilla’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Umatilla feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 221 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 27 and the first by November 4. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mcnary Dam #2, OR, 2.0 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Mcnary Dam, WA, 2.3 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Umatilla’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 8°. 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 4 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Boardman, OR, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 9 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 62 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Umatilla
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 Mcnary Dam, WA.
Living with Umatilla’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
221 frost-free days in zone 7b. 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 0.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Umatilla from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 26%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Umatilla and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Umatilla yet.
Climates most like Umatilla’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Umatilla, OR | 29° | 91° | 9" | 3.7" |
| Sparks, NV | 25° | 92° | 8" | 6.8" |
| Alamogordo, NM | 27° | 93° | 11" | 2.4" |
| Alpine, TX | 30° | 90° | 15" | 2.2" |
| Chino Valley, AZ | 27° | 92° | 11" | 10" |
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 Umatilla averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
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 Umatilla compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Umatilla’s place among Oregon’s.
Umatilla weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Umatilla’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Boardman, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 29° | 1.2" | 1.2" | 9 | 23° – 42° |
| February | 48° | 30° | 0.8" | 1.4" | 6 | 28° – 44° |
| March | 58° | 34° | 0.8" | 0.2" | 6 | 37° – 50° |
| April | 66° | 40° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 49° – 58° |
| May | 75° | 47° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 57° – 66° |
| June | 82° | 54° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 63° – 75° |
| July | 91° | 59° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 68° – 79° |
| August | 90° | 58° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 69° – 76° |
| September | 80° | 50° | 0.3" | 0.0" | 2 | 62° – 69° |
| October | 66° | 40° | 0.8" | 0.1" | 5 | 49° – 58° |
| November | 51° | 33° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 35° – 48° |
| December | 41° | 28° | 1.2" | 0.8" | 10 | 28° – 40° |
| Year | 66° | 42° | 8.6" | 3.7" | 62 |
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 42°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Umatilla’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 Umatilla’s center.
- Snow: Boardman, OR.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Mcnary Dam, WA, 2.3 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Mcnary Dam #2, OR, 2.0 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 Umatilla’s climate
What is the weather like in Umatilla?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 29°, and about 4 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 71% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Umatilla in winter?
December nights average 28°. About 74 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How much snow does Umatilla get?
About 3.7 inches in a normal winter at Boardman, OR, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Umatilla?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 59°. About 33 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Mcnary Dam, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Umatilla?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 27 and the first fall frost by November 4, about 221 frost-free days, at Mcnary Dam, WA.
What growing zone is Umatilla in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Umatilla?
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 Umatilla 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 Umatilla.
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.