Salem, OR Climate


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Salem, OR has a mild climate with warm summers and cool winters. Temperatures range from an average high of 90°F in July to an average low of 33°F in January. The city experiences moderate levels of rainfall throughout the year, with July seeing the most rain each year. Salem also experiences varying amounts of snowfall, depending on winter weather patterns. Overall, Salem’s climate is quite pleasant and conducive to outdoor activities year-round.

Salem, Oregon gets 45 inches of rain, on average, per year. The US average is 38 inches of rain per year.

Salem averages 4 inches of snow per year. The US average is 28 inches of snow per year.

On average, there are 154 sunny days per year in Salem. The US average is 205 sunny days.

Salem gets some kind of precipitation, on average, 152 days per year. Precipitation is rain, snow, sleet, or hail that falls to the ground. In order for precipitation to be counted you have to get at least .01 inches on the ground to measure.


Weather Highlights

Summer High: the July high is around 81 degrees
Winter Low: the January low is 35
Rain: averages 45 inches of rain a year
Snow: averages 4 inches of snow a year


Bestplaces Comfort Index

The annual BestPlaces Comfort Index for Salem is 7.4 (10=best), which means it is more comfortable than most places in Oregon.

9.2 Summer - 5.4 Winter
August, July and September are the most pleasant months in Salem, while December and January are the least comfortable months.

  ClimateSalem, OregonUnited States
  44.9 in.38.1 in.
  3.9 in.27.8 in.
  151.5 days106.2 days
  154 days205 days
  81.1°85.8°
  34.8°21.7°
  7.47
  2.94.3
  157 ft.2443 ft.
Climate
YOU SHOULD KNOW

Many people confuse weather and climate but they are different. Weather is the conditions of the atmosphere over a short period of time, and climate is how the atmosphere is over long periods of time.

Weather is how the atmosphere is behaving and its effects upon life and human activities. Weather can change from minute-to-minute. Most people think of weather in terms of temperature, humidity, precipitation, cloudiness, brightness, visibility, wind, and atmospheric pressure.

Climate is the description of the long-term pattern of weather in a place. Climate can mean the average weather for a particular region and time period taken over 30 years. Climate is the average of weather over time.

August is the hottest month for Salem with an average high temperature of 81.6°, which ranks it as cooler than most places in Oregon. In Salem, there are 4 comfortable months with high temperatures in the range of 70-85°. The most pleasant months of the year for Salem are September, July and August.
In Salem, there are 12.5 days annually when the high temperature is over 90°, which is cooler than most places in Oregon.
December has the coldest nighttime temperatures for Salem with an average of 34.0°. This is warmer than most places in Oregon.
In Salem, there are 46.1 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below freezing, which is warmer than most places in Oregon.
In Salem, there are 0.0 days annually when the nighttime low temperature falls below zero°, which is about average compared to other places in Oregon.
Humidity in Salem is generally quite low and comfortable. There are few days during the summer when the humidity becomes unpleasant. The most humid months (but still comfortable) are August, July and June.
December is the wettest month in Salem with 7.6 inches of rain, and the driest month is July with 0.5 inches. The wettest season is Spring with 43% of yearly precipitation and 6% occurs in Autumn, which is the driest season. The annual rainfall of 44.9 inches in Salem means that it is wetter than most places in Oregon.
November is the rainiest month in Salem with 19.2 days of rain, and August is the driest month with only 3.2 rainy days. There are 151.5 rainy days annually in Salem, which is rainier than most places in Oregon. The rainiest season is Spring when it rains 35% of the time and the driest is Autumn with only a 10% chance of a rainy day.
An annual snowfall of 3.9 inches in Salem means that it is about average compared to other places in Oregon. February is the snowiest month in Salem with 1.9 inches of snow, and 3 months of the year have significant snowfall.
Reviews for Salem
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After reading the reviews here, I had to come write my own. The problem I had with most of the reviews is that most were very opinion-based and seemed to assume everyone  More

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Moved here approx. 4 years ago from SW Michigan, but I've lived in 9 other cities & 5 other states. Salem is a very manageable sized city, with tons of parks, diverse  More

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Over 4 years ago

I'm a native 5th generation Oregonian, so bear in mind that I was born with webs between my toes! Anyway, I used to think it rained too much when I was young. Then I  More

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