Cost to Own
United StatesOregonPolk CountyClimate Station FALLS CITY 2 SSW, OR US Distance 5.2 mi Normals 1991–2020

30-year climate normals

Polk County Climate and Weather Averages

Hottest month — August

80.7°

average daily high. The coldest month is January, averaging a low of 32.9°F.

Polk County gets 81.19" of precipitation a year and 9.6" of snow, and 51% of it falls in Nov, Dec, Jan.

Temperature through the year

Each bar spans the average daily low to the average daily high for that month.

40° 60° 80° JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
MonthAvg highAvg low PrecipSnow
January 45.0° 32.9° 13.84" 2.6"
February 49.2° 33.2° 9.65" 1.8"
March 53.4° 35.0° 9.26" 1.1"
April 57.7° 37.5° 6.72" 0.0"
May 65.1° 42.6° 2.89" 0.0"
June 70.3° 46.6° 1.69" 0.0"
July 79.9° 50.2° 0.35" 0.0"
August 80.7° 50.4° 0.45" 0.0"
September 74.9° 47.5° 2.06" 0.0"
October 62.4° 42.5° 6.34" 0.0"
November 50.9° 36.6° 11.52" 0.5"
December 44.9° 33.2° 16.42" 3.6"

Rainfall by month

Polk County has a distinct wet season. 51% of the year's precipitation arrives in Nov, Dec, Jan.

January 13.84"
February 9.65"
March 9.26"
April 6.72"
May 2.89"
June 1.69"
July 0.35"
August 0.45"
September 2.06"
October 6.34"
November 11.52"
December 16.42"
Annual total 81.19"

What this climate costs you

Degree days measure how hard a building has to work to stay comfortable. They are the reason two identical houses have very different power bills, and they are the link between the weather here and what you pay every month.

Cooling degree days How much air conditioning the climate demands 193
Heating degree days How much heating the climate demands 5,303
Approximate annual cooling cost At 16.27¢/kWh, Oregon average $31
Approximate annual electric heating cost Lower where heating is gas rather than electric $302

These are rough planning figures from degree days and the state electricity price, not a bill estimate. House size, insulation and fuel type move them a lot. See the full cost of owning a home in Polk County, where electricity is one line of eight.

Common questions

What is the weather like in Polk County?

Polk County averages a high of 80.7°F in August and a low of 32.9°F in January. Annual precipitation is 81.19 inches, including 9.6 inches of snow.

When is the rainy season in Polk County?

The wettest stretch is Nov, Dec, Jan, which accounts for 51% of the year's precipitation. That is a pronounced wet season rather than rain spread evenly through the year.

How hot does it get in Polk County?

The average daily high in August, the hottest month, is 80.7°F. That drives 193 cooling degree days a year, which is what your air conditioning has to work against.

Does it snow in Polk County?

Yes. Polk County averages 9.6 inches of snow a year.

Sources

  • Temperature, precipitation and snowfall normals — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 Monthly Climate Normals, station FALLS CITY 2 SSW, OR US (USC00352800), 5.2 miles from the county centroid.
  • Heating and cooling degree days — NOAA, same station and period.
  • Electricity price — US Energy Information Administration, Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A, Oregon residential average.
  • Wet-season share is the wettest three consecutive months as a percentage of annual precipitation, calculated from the monthly normals.