Photo: TheConduqtor · CC BY-SA 3.0Few U.S. towns have cooler summers than La Grande
Midwinter brings lows of about 34°. Rain follows the seasons: December brings about 6.9 times as much as July. By precipitation alone, it ranks wetter than 94% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 24, with the first autumn frost due around October 15.
A year in La Grande at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about La Grande’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with La Grande’s place in Washington beside it.
What a year in La Grande feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 176 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first by October 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Glenoma, WA, 21 miles from the town’s center, 440 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts La Grande’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. 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 Mcmillin Reservoir, WA, falls mostly in January, November and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 56 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 166 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in La Grande
98% 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 Glenoma, WA.
Living with La Grande’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
176 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 5.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in La Grande from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (67%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →La Grande and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around La Grande yet.
Climates most like La Grande’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Grande, WA | 34° | 76° | 56" | 5.6" |
| Sweet Home, OR | 35° | 82° | 55" | 0.1" |
| Black Mountain, NC | 27° | 82° | 57" | 2.1" |
| Fortuna, CA | 42° | 70° | 55" | 0.7" |
| Orleans, MA | 25° | 77° | 45" | 25" |
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 La Grande averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 69% 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 La Grande compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with La Grande’s place among Washington’s.
La Grande weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at La Grande’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Mcmillin Reservoir, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 45° | 34° | 6.9" | 1.5" | 20 | 2 | 34° – 45° |
| February | 47° | 33° | 5.3" | 0.5" | 15 | 0 | 33° – 47° |
| March | 51° | 35° | 5.8" | 0.6" | 20 | 1 | 38° – 49° |
| April | 56° | 38° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 42° – 54° |
| May | 64° | 43° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| June | 69° | 48° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 55° – 65° |
| July | 76° | 51° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| August | 76° | 52° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| September | 70° | 48° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| October | 58° | 41° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| November | 49° | 36° | 7.7" | 1.5" | 19 | 1 | 37° – 47° |
| December | 43° | 33° | 7.7" | 1.5" | 20 | 2 | 33° – 41° |
| Year | 59° | 41° | 56.0" | 5.6" | 166 | 5 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 47°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where La Grande’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 La Grande’s center.
- Snow: Mcmillin Reservoir, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Glenoma, WA, 21 miles from the town’s center, 440 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 La Grande’s climate
What is the weather like in La Grande?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 34°, and about 6 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in La Grande in winter?
December nights average 33°. About 82 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 33°.
How much snow does La Grande get?
About 5.6 inches in a normal winter at Mcmillin Reservoir, WA, most of it in January, November and December, with snow on the ground about 5 days a year.
How hot does it get in La Grande?
July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 51°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Glenoma, WA).
When is the first and last frost in La Grande?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by October 15, about 176 frost-free days, at Glenoma, WA.
What growing zone is La Grande in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
What is the best time of year to visit La Grande?
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 La Grande getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in La Grande.
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.