Climate - Pendleton (Oregon)

The climate of Pendleton is semi-arid continental, with cold winters and hot summers. The scarce rainfall occurs in the cold semester, while the summer is sunny.
The city is located in northeastern Oregon, 400 meters (1,300 ft) above sea level. A short distance away, we find the valley of the Columbia River, where the city of Hermiston is located.
In winter, cold waves are possible, during which the temperature can drop to -20 °C (-4 °F) or even below. In December 1990, it reached -26.7 °C (-16 °F). Snowfalls are quite frequent, but generally not abundant. On average, 40 cm (15.7 in) of snow fall per year.
In summer, there are several very hot days. On the hottest days of the year, the temperature generally reaches 38/39 °C (100/102° F), but sometimes even higher. In 2015, it reached 43 °C.
The average temperature of the coldest month (December) is of 0.7 °C (33 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 22.6 °C (73 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation amounts to 320 millimeters (12.6 inches) per year: it is therefore scarce. It ranges from 10 mm (0.4 in) in the driest months (July, August) to 40 mm (1.6 in) in the wettest (November). Here is the average precipitation.

Best Time

The best times to visit Pendleton are spring and autumn, and in particular the months of May and September, to avoid both the winter cold and the summer heat.

Back to the climate of Oregon.