Pendleton, OR Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: climate measurements used in PlainClimate's documented score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Pendleton's primary NOAA station, PENDLETON - 2 stations mapped to the area.
The climate verdict for Pendleton
Dryness leads the climate profile for Pendleton, Oregon, with 12.8 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 52°F. At 54/100 (moderate) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 31% of scores.
- 52°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 54/100
- comfort score, above 31% of station-mapped location scores
- 12.8"
- annual precipitation · 16" snow
- 173 days
- frost-free growing season
Pendleton: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USW00024155 · Pendleton, OR 52°F mean · 12.8" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-MID · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-DRY · SWING-MID · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-MULTI · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 52°F
- RANK-MID #3,362
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Hermiston
- PRCP-DRY 12.8"
- SWING-MID 39°F
- COMF-LOW 54/100
- LOAD-HEAT 5,340 HDD
- STN-MULTI USW00024155
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Hermiston, OR (+ 0 °F mean)
Instrument codes from this station's NOAA 1991–2020 normals, mean temperature, corpus warmth rank, photo-finish peer station, precipitation band, seasonal swing, comfort composite, degree-day load, and field book, not a livability rating.
Mean-temperature neighbourhood
Nationwide NOAA normal poles and nearest peers, not a reprint of every OR station list.
- Pendleton (this station) 52°F
- Cold Grenville, NM 52°F
- Hot Pelton Dam, OR 52°F
- Near Hermiston, OR 52°F
- Near Sagemoor, WA 52°F
Climate Living Index · Pendleton
Pendleton: 47/100 · grade D
Pendleton publishes all six Living Index dimensions from NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals · NOAA hourly normals.
PlainClimate-derived for Pendleton, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 54/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 134 calendar days | 56/100 · C |
| Snowfall burden | 15.7 inches/year | 55/100 · C |
| Summer moisture balance | 43.4°F mean dew point | 51/100 · D |
| Annual temperature balance | 52.0°F · 15.5° from 67.5°F | 49/100 · D |
| Frost-free season | 173 days/year | 44/100 · D |
| Precipitation balance | 12.8 in · 22.2 from 35 in | 21/100 · F |
Pendleton · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Pendleton's normals sit in a dry climate class: BSk
Precipitation is low relative to temperature but above true desert thresholds: cold semi-arid steppe (BSk). Class BSk is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: dry (arid or semi-arid), specifically cold semi-arid steppe.
- Köppen code
- BSk
- Group
- Dry (arid or semi-arid)
- Warmest month
- 73.0°F
- Coldest month
- 34.2°F
Source: official public datasets monthly normals (1991–2020) at the city’s primary station. This is a station classification, not a mapped regional consensus.
National standing · heating-led station
Where Pendleton sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Pendleton's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- 49th percentile warmth
- Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 88%
- Pendleton's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Narrower than 70%
- Warmest-to-coldest month gap for Pendleton is compact versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Pendleton compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Pendleton's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
54 31st percentile score exceeds 31% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Below this entry.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). This entry sits in this band.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). Above this entry.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Pendleton's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 124 complete annual observations from 1890 to 2025, PENDLETON warmed at a fitted rate of 0.11°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Pendleton primary station fitted change +0.11 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42°F (5°C) | 28°F (-2°C) | 35°F (2°C) | 1.5" | 3.8" | 20.6 | 0.0 |
| February | 46°F (8°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 1.2" | 4.5" | 17.2 | 0.0 |
| March | 55°F (13°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 1.3" | 0.7" | 12.4 | 0.0 |
| April | 62°F (17°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 1.2" | 0.0" | 4.4 | 0.0 |
| May | 71°F (22°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 58°F (14°C) | 1.4" | 0.0" | 0.7 | 0.8 |
| June | 78°F (26°C) | 51°F (10°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 1.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 3.9 |
| July | 89°F (32°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 0.3" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 15.9 |
| August | 88°F (31°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 0.3" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 13.4 |
| September | 78°F (26°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 0.5" | 0.0" | 0.1 | 3.1 |
| October | 64°F (18°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 1.1" | 0.1" | 4.3 | 0.1 |
| November | 49°F (10°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 1.4" | 1.2" | 14.0 | 0.0 |
| December | 41°F (5°C) | 28°F (-2°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 1.5" | 5.4" | 22.4 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Pendleton works both ends of the calendar. Normal highs climb to 92°F by July 26 and hold at or above 90°F on 23 dates, then normal lows drop to freezing or below on 111 dates, bottoming at 27°F around December 22.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from July 16 through August 7, covering 23 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs May 12 to October 3.
This counts calendar dates whose 1991–2020 normal high reaches 90°F. It is a smaller number than the 90°F+ day counts in the monthly table above, which measure how often the threshold was actually crossed in a typical year. A date can average 88°F and still exceed 90°F in half of all years.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into March 6, then returns to freezing around November 17, covering 111 dates in all.
Derived from the normal daily minimum. This is a different measure from the 50%-probability frost dates shown elsewhere on this page, which come from NOAA’s frost product.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is December 8, when 41% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is August 6 at 7%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 101 wet dates a year.
The widest day
July 24 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 33°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Pendleton.
Where Pendleton Stands Nationally
A drier-than-most normal water year — around 13 inches, below what four out of five ranked stations collect.
Daily temperature swings run wider than most of the country, peaking near 33°F between the normal high and low.
Pendleton earns 2 nationally notable standings (outer quintiles) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations; only those extremes render.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 3.8"
12.3 days with precipitation
Snow: 4.5"
9.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.7"
11.6 days with precipitation
9.6 days with precipitation
9.6 days with precipitation
6.5 days with precipitation
2.4 days with precipitation
2.2 days with precipitation
3.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.1"
8.2 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.2"
11.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 5.4"
12.5 days with precipitation
Pendleton spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 13% of the annual total and December through February 33%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Pendleton has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a 38.8°F seasonal spread.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: January averages 1.5" and July 0.3". The three wettest months together take 35% of the year, against the 25% a perfectly flat distribution would give them.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. "Spread across the year" means neither the June-August nor the December-February share reaches 35%; it describes an average year, not the variability of any single one.
Pendleton is dry, and what does fall arrives gently
Only about 100 days a year record measurable precipitation here, 27% of the calendar, and they carry 12.8" between them. At roughly 0.13 inches on an average wet day, this is not the damp drizzle of a marine climate; it is an arid record in which precipitation is both uncommon and light when it appears.
The wettest month by count is December at about 13 wet days; the driest is August at about 2.
A low per-event average in a dry record is a statement about typical days only. Arid regions can still take a large share of a year's total from a single convective storm, which a normal cannot show.
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year, not the extremes within it.
Winter brings real snow to Pendleton
Pendleton averages 15.7 inches of snowfall a year, with December the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 11 days that record measurable snow. That is depth accumulating on the ground, which is why it can exceed the annual precipitation figure: precipitation counts the liquid the snow melts down to, and fresh snow is mostly air.
- Annual snowfall: 15.7 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 11 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 12% of the year's precipitation.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. The ten-to-one ratio is a convention, not a measurement: real ratios vary with temperature, so treat the share as an order of magnitude rather than an exact split.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 16
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
April 26
50% probability date
Growing Season
173 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
5,340
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
636
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
December
Humidity & Wind
Monthly averages from hourly observations
| Month | Humidity | Wind (mph) | Clear Sky % | Overcast % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 77% | 7.2 | 32% | 47% |
| February | 69% | 8.3 | 42% | 35% |
| March | 61% | 9.6 | 43% | 28% |
| April | 55% | 9.8 | 52% | 21% |
| May | 52% | 9.1 | 55% | 19% |
| June | 42% | 9.2 | 76% | 7% |
| July | 34% | 8.5 | 86% | 3% |
| August | 40% | 8.3 | 80% | 5% |
| September | 50% | 7.7 | 72% | 11% |
| October | 70% | 7.5 | 54% | 28% |
| November | 77% | 7.5 | 34% | 48% |
| December | 80% | 7.0 | 29% | 55% |
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside OR closest to Pendleton on two NOAA annual-normal axes (mean temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual mean temperature (52°F here).
- Arapahoe, CO 52°F · 0.0°F off
- Athens, IL 52°F · 0.0°F off
- Congerville, IL 52°F · 0.0°F off
- Farmington, UT 52°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (12.8" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Baker, NV 12.8" · 0.0" off
- Green Valley, AZ 12.8" · 0.0" off
- Cuba, NM 12.8" · 0.0" off
- Hope, NM 12.9" · 0.0" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Pendleton
heating led · dry · mid swing
Pendleton's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 5,340 annual heating degree days against 636 for cooling. Its 38.8°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Pendleton's frost-free season lasts about 173 days, a middle-length window whose endpoints matter more than the annual average. It describes freeze probability, not year-specific planting conditions.
-
1. Pendleton coldest normal
December
The monthly mean of 34°F (1°C) sits near freezing, so cold nights and above-freezing afternoons share the same month.
-
2. Pendleton typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Pendleton snow peak
December
Pendleton averages 15.7 inches of snow a year, with December the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Pendleton's climate
How much snow does Pendleton get? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Pendleton get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Pendleton? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Pendleton's primary station: PENDLETON (USW00024155). 2 NOAA stations are mapped to the Pendleton area; the primary station's record is used for consistency. For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The 2024 Census Gazetteer identifies the exact name-and-state match as an incorporated place (GEOID 4157150). Match rule for Pendleton: exact normalized name + state only, no fuzzy expansion, so nearby differently spelled facilities stay unmatched.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Pendleton comes from its primary NOAA station record. No figure on this page is typed in by an editor - each value is rendered from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 1991–2020 normals.