Photo: Rick Obst from Eugene, United States · CC BY 2.0Hardly any U.S. towns see fresher July days than Wallowa Lake
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 19°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 90% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.8°, most of all in January. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 24 to October 1.
A year in Wallowa Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wallowa Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wallowa Lake’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Wallowa Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 126 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Joseph, OR, 3 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wallowa Lake’s center in zone 6a: 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 54 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Joseph, OR, falls mostly in January and March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; May is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 128 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wallowa Lake
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September through June.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Joseph, OR.
Living with Wallowa Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
126 frost-free days in zone 6a. 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 Oct 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 2.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wallowa Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (57%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wallowa Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Wallowa Lake yet.
Climates most like Wallowa Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wallowa Lake, OR | 19° | 79° | 19" | 54" |
| Bigfork, MT | 19° | 82° | 19" | 51" |
| Big Bear Lake, CA | 25° | 80° | 24" | 59" |
| Ruidoso, NM | 22° | 82° | 20" | 26" |
| Laramie, WY | 12° | 81° | 12" | 64" |
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 Wallowa Lake averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 88% 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 Wallowa Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wallowa Lake’s place among Oregon’s.
Wallowa Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wallowa Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Joseph, OR. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 19° | 1.5" | 10.7" | 12 | 21° – 32° |
| February | 38° | 20° | 1.3" | 9.2" | 11 | 23° – 36° |
| March | 45° | 26° | 1.9" | 10.1" | 13 | 30° – 42° |
| April | 51° | 29° | 2.1" | 6.3" | 14 | 35° – 47° |
| May | 60° | 36° | 2.6" | 1.1" | 14 | 43° – 53° |
| June | 67° | 41° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 50° – 63° |
| July | 79° | 47° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 51° – 68° |
| August | 79° | 46° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 57° – 66° |
| September | 69° | 40° | 1.0" | 0.1" | 7 | 50° – 59° |
| October | 55° | 32° | 1.6" | 1.2" | 11 | 36° – 50° |
| November | 41° | 25° | 1.6" | 7.3" | 12 | 25° – 39° |
| December | 33° | 19° | 1.8" | 8.2" | 14 | 19° – 30° |
| Year | 54° | 32° | 19.2" | 54.2" | 128 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. July swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 51° to 68°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Wallowa Lake’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 Wallowa Lake’s center.
- Snow: Joseph, OR.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Joseph, OR, 3 miles from the town’s center, 260 ft lower; 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 Wallowa Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Wallowa Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 54 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wallowa Lake in winter?
December nights average 19°. About 187 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 19°.
How much snow does Wallowa Lake get?
About 54 inches in a normal winter at Joseph, OR, most of it in January and March.
How hot does it get in Wallowa Lake?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 47°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Joseph, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Wallowa Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 126 frost-free days, at Joseph, OR.
What growing zone is Wallowa Lake in?
Zone 6a 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 Wallowa Lake?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Wallowa Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wallowa Lake.
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.