Photo: Geirfuglasker · CC BY-SA 4.0Vernonia sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 34°. A year here swings 45° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than 88% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 8 to October 1.
A year in Vernonia at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Vernonia’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Vernonia’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Vernonia feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 144 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Vernonia #2, OR, 0.3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Vernonia’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 12°. 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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Vernonia #2, OR, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 52 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 165 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Vernonia
99% 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 Vernonia #2, OR.
Living with Vernonia’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
144 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by May 8 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 1.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Vernonia from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Vernonia and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Vernonia yet.
Climates most like Vernonia’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vernonia, OR | 34° | 77° | 52" | 1.1" |
| Lake Stevens, WA | 35° | 74° | 50" | 3.0" |
| Ben Lomond, CA | 40° | 79° | 43" | 0.0" |
| Black Mountain, NC | 27° | 82° | 57" | 2.1" |
| Fairfield Glade, TN | 27° | 84° | 57" | 4.9" |
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 Vernonia averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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 Vernonia compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Vernonia’s place among Oregon’s.
Vernonia weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Vernonia’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Vernonia #2, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 34° | 7.5" | 0.3" | 20 | 0 | 33° – 43° |
| February | 48° | 33° | 6.1" | 0.6" | 17 | 0 | 35° – 46° |
| March | 52° | 35° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 | 40° – 49° |
| April | 57° | 38° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 17 | 0 | 43° – 53° |
| May | 65° | 43° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 57° |
| June | 69° | 47° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| July | 77° | 51° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| August | 78° | 51° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 61° – 68° |
| September | 72° | 47° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| October | 60° | 41° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 46° – 56° |
| November | 49° | 36° | 8.2" | 0.0" | 20 | 0 | 38° – 48° |
| December | 43° | 33° | 9.4" | 0.2" | 20 | 0 | 33° – 42° |
| Year | 60° | 41° | 51.7" | 1.1" | 165 | 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 46°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Vernonia’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 Vernonia’s center.
- Snow: Vernonia #2, OR (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Vernonia #2, OR, 0.3 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 Vernonia’s climate
What is the weather like in Vernonia?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 34°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Vernonia in winter?
December nights average 33°. About 99 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does Vernonia get?
About 1.1 inches in a normal winter at Vernonia #2, OR, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Vernonia?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 51°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Vernonia #2, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Vernonia?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 8 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 144 frost-free days, at Vernonia #2, OR.
What growing zone is Vernonia in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Vernonia?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Vernonia getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Vernonia.
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.