Pendleton, Oregon climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Pendleton's normal year runs from 28°F December nights to 89°F July afternoons, with 12.8 inches of precipitation and 16 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 11.1°C, December lows of −2°C, July highs of 32°C, 326 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationPendleton E Or Regional Airport
- Station IDUSW00024155
- Location45.69°N 118.85°W
- Elevation1,515 ft (462 m)
- From the center2 miles
- Population17,026
On October 23, the normal high in Pendleton is 60°F and the normal low 37°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 28%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Pendleton.
- Jan 42° 28°
- Feb 46° 30°
- Mar 55° 34°
- Apr 62° 38°
- May 71° 45°
- Jun 78° 51°
- Jul 89° 57°
- Aug 88° 56°
- Sep 78° 49°
- Oct 64° 39°
- Nov 49° 32°
- Dec 41° 28°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Pendleton each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 89°F; December the coldest, with normal lows of 28°F. The most precipitation falls in January (1.52 in), the least in July (0.26 in).
Each month has its own page with the day-by-day normals, the month's records and its recent years:
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42°F | 28°F | 34.9°F | 1.52 | 3.8 | 12 | <1 | 21 | 9 h |
| February | 46°F | 30°F | 38.0°F | 1.19 | 4.5 | 10 | <1 | 17 | 10 h 20 min |
| March | 55°F | 34°F | 44.4°F | 1.33 | 0.7 | 12 | <1 | 12 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 62°F | 38°F | 50.1°F | 1.21 | 0.0 | 10 | <1 | 4 | 13 h 30 min |
| May | 71°F | 45°F | 57.9°F | 1.45 | 0.0 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 14 h 50 min |
| June | 78°F | 51°F | 64.6°F | 1.05 | 0.0 | 7 | 4 | <1 | 15 h 40 min |
| July | 89°F | 57°F | 73.0°F | 0.26 | 0.0 | 2 | 16 | <1 | 15 h 20 min |
| August | 88°F | 56°F | 71.8°F | 0.31 | 0.0 | 2 | 13 | <1 | 14 h 10 min |
| September | 78°F | 49°F | 63.5°F | 0.53 | 0.0 | 4 | 3 | <1 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 64°F | 39°F | 51.5°F | 1.09 | 0.1 | 8 | <1 | 4 | 11 h |
| November | 49°F | 32°F | 40.7°F | 1.39 | 1.2 | 12 | <1 | 14 | 9 h 30 min |
| December | 41°F | 28°F | 34.2°F | 1.50 | 5.4 | 13 | <1 | 22 | 8 h 40 min |
| Year (annual) | 64°F | 41°F | 52.0°F | 12.83 | 15.7 | 100 | 37 | 96 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 5°C | −2°C | 1.6°C | 39 mm | 10 cm |
| February | 8°C | −1°C | 3.3°C | 30 mm | 11 cm |
| March | 13°C | 1°C | 6.9°C | 34 mm | 2 cm |
| April | 17°C | 3°C | 10.1°C | 31 mm | 0 cm |
| May | 22°C | 7°C | 14.4°C | 37 mm | 0 cm |
| June | 26°C | 10°C | 18.1°C | 27 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 32°C | 14°C | 22.8°C | 7 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 31°C | 13°C | 22.1°C | 8 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 26°C | 9°C | 17.5°C | 13 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 18°C | 4°C | 10.8°C | 28 mm | 0 cm |
| November | 10°C | 0°C | 4.8°C | 35 mm | 3 cm |
| December | 5°C | −2°C | 1.2°C | 38 mm | 14 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00024155; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit Pendleton?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June and September. Of those, September has the fewest days with rain (4).
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00024155.
When is the last frost in Pendleton?
In Pendleton, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 26 in half of years and after May 10 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 16 in half of years and before October 1 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- April 261 year in 10 after May 10; 9 in 10 after April 7
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 161 year in 10 before October 1; 9 in 10 before November 1
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 174 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 209 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 1 in half of springs and before October 28 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Pendleton in zone 7a in ZIP code 97801, the nearest ZIP area. By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, Pendleton's NOAA station is in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical year reaches 4°F (30 complete years).
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Oregon · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00024155; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; the station zone: ACIS daily lows, 1991-2020. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get in Pendleton?
In a normal year in Pendleton, 37 days a year reach 90°F (6 of them 100°F or more), 96 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 100 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 37a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 6a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 96a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 19high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 100a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 5a normal year
The highest temperature in Pendleton's official record (kept by the National Weather Service since 1892) is 119°F, on August 10, 1898; the lowest is −28°F, on December 13, 1919.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1899, with 20.08 in; the snowiest season is 1949–50, with 53.9 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00024155; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), NWS threaded record PDTthr. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is Pendleton, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 43°F. The muggiest month is June, with an average dew point of 44°F; the driest air comes in December (27°F). April is the windiest month (9.8 mph on average), and July has the most clear or nearly clear hours (91%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30°F | 77% | 67% | 7.2 mph | 38% | 47% |
| February | 30°F | 69% | 53% | 8.3 mph | 49% | 35% |
| March | 34°F | 61% | 43% | 9.6 mph | 53% | 28% |
| April | 37°F | 55% | 36% | 9.8 mph | 61% | 21% |
| May | 44°F | 52% | 34% | 9.1 mph | 64% | 19% |
| June | 44°F | 42% | 24% | 9.2 mph | 82% | 7% |
| July | 44°F | 34% | 20% | 8.5 mph | 91% | 3% |
| August | 42°F | 40% | 24% | 8.3 mph | 87% | 5% |
| September | 39°F | 50% | 31% | 7.7 mph | 78% | 11% |
| October | 35°F | 70% | 53% | 7.5 mph | 60% | 28% |
| November | 29°F | 77% | 69% | 7.5 mph | 39% | 48% |
| December | 27°F | 80% | 74% | 7.0 mph | 34% | 55% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00024155. Monthly averages of all hours; afternoon humidity at 3 p.m. local standard time; sky as the share of hours NOAA's observations rate clear or few clouds (a dash where NOAA publishes no sky value).
How sunny is Pendleton?
Over a year 78% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Pendleton, 4.2 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (93%) and December the cloudiest (56%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 59% | 1.4 |
| February | 65% | 2.3 |
| March | 68% | 3.5 |
| April | 74% | 5.2 |
| May | 77% | 6.2 |
| June | 82% | 7.1 |
| July | 93% | 7.7 |
| August | 91% | 6.5 |
| September | 86% | 4.8 |
| October | 76% | 3.0 |
| November | 64% | 1.6 |
| December | 56% | 1.1 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does Pendleton need?
A normal year in Pendleton brings 5,340 heating degree days, 1% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 636 cooling degree days, 30% fewer than the median (908). Seven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 2,715 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 935 | 0 |
| February | 756 | 0 |
| March | 640 | 0 |
| April | 449 | 1 |
| May | 238 | 20 |
| June | 87 | 73 |
| July | 9 | 255 |
| August | 12 | 223 |
| September | 107 | 62 |
| October | 423 | 3 |
| November | 729 | 0 |
| December | 956 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 5,340 | 636 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00024155. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
Has Pendleton been warmer than normal lately?
2024 averaged 54.3°F, 2.3°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 52.0°F. 4 of the 4 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 53.9°F | +1.9°F | 9.39 | 40.7 |
| 2022 | 52.8°F | +0.8°F | 15.91 | 20.7 |
| 2023 | 54.0°F | +2.0°F | 10.31 | 8.9 |
| 2024 | 54.3°F | +2.3°F | 14.81 | 12.2 |
Over 124 complete years from 1890 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 1.9°F per century (+0.11°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00024155; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Pendleton's climate compare?
Pendleton is warmer than 53 of the other 104 places with their own NOAA record in Oregon, and wetter than 16. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 52.0°F is warmer than 49%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Pendleton is BSk: cold semi-arid steppe. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Which places near Pendleton share this climate record?
6 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Mission, OR938 people · 9 mi E
- Green Meadows, OR752 people · 6 mi SE
- Tutuilla, OR393 people · 9 mi SE
- Gopher Flats, OR383 people · 7 mi E
- Riverside, OR367 people · 6 mi E
- Kirkpatrick, OR242 people · 10 mi E
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
What do Pendleton's other NOAA stations record?
3 more NOAA stations keep 1991-2020 normals in or near Pendleton. This page uses Pendleton E Or Regional Airport; the others differ by site and elevation:
| Station | From the center | Elevation | Year | Jan low | Jul high | Precip. | Snow | Last frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pendleton Branch Experiment Station USC00356540 | 10 mi E | 1,487 ft | 50.6°F | 27°F | 90°F | 17.2 | 15 | May 12 |
| Pendleton Downtown USC00356541 | 1 mi E | 1,040 ft | 52.9°F | 28°F | 90°F | – | – | April 22 |
| Pendleton Weather Office USC00356550 | 2 mi NW | 1,510 ft | 53.0°F | 28°F | 90°F | 13.1 | 18 | April 14 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station. Last frost: the median last spring date of 32°F.
Questions about Pendleton's climate
What is the coldest month in Pendleton?
December, with a normal high of 41°F and a normal low of 28°F. The warmest is July (89°F by day, 57°F at night).
Does it snow in Pendleton?
Yes: 16 inches in a normal year, falling on 11 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in December (5.4 inches).
What is the rainiest month in Pendleton?
January, with 1.52 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is July with 0.26 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Pendleton in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Pendleton in zone 7a in ZIP code 97801, the nearest ZIP area. By the same method at Pendleton's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches 4°F (30 years, 1991-2020): zone 7a.
How late can frost come in Pendleton?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 26; in one year in ten it comes after May 10. Waiting until May 10 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Pendleton in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- Oregon climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Pilot Rock, OR15 miles from this station, 51.9°F a year
- Hermiston, OR22 miles from this station, 53.9°F a year
- Meacham, OR24 miles from this station, 42.8°F a year
- McNary Dam #2, OR27 miles from this station, 53.9°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made