Salem climate
Salem (Oregon, United States) has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb). The average temperature over the year is 11 °C53 °F, and about 1,370 mm54 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Salem climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 948 | 236 | 642 | 1997.8 | 8 |
| Feb | 1050 | 236 | 643 | 1355.3 | 9 |
| Mar | 1253 | 438 | 846 | 1666.5 | 4 |
| Apr | 1458 | 541 | 1049 | 1134.4 | 1 |
| May | 1865 | 846 | 1356 | 712.8 | 0 |
| Jun | 2170 | 1050 | 1660 | 471.9 | 0 |
| Jul | 2678 | 1253 | 1966 | 90.4 | 0 |
| Aug | 2780 | 1254 | 1967 | 150.6 | 0 |
| Sep | 2475 | 1050 | 1762 | 532.1 | 0 |
| Oct | 1763 | 745 | 1254 | 1234.9 | 1 |
| Nov | 1153 | 439 | 846 | 2007.9 | 4 |
| Dec | 846 | 235 | 541 | 2399.4 | 10 |
| Year | 2780 | 235 | 1153 | 1,37054 | 38 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 92% | 79% | 1.3 | 9:08 |
| Feb | 89% | 74% | 2.2 | 10:21 |
| Mar | 88% | 76% | 3.2 | 11:47 |
| Apr | 85% | 72% | 4.5 | 13:26 |
| May | 83% | 65% | 5.7 | 14:49 |
| Jun | 81% | 57% | 6.3 | 15:35 |
| Jul | 76% | 34% | 7.1 | 15:16 |
| Aug | 72% | 37% | 6.1 | 14:03 |
| Sep | 74% | 44% | 4.5 | 12:27 |
| Oct | 82% | 60% | 2.8 | 10:52 |
| Nov | 90% | 74% | 1.5 | 9:28 |
| Dec | 93% | 80% | 1.1 | 8:47 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Salem is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 27 °C80 °F and a low of 12 °C54 °F. The coldest is December, when highs average 8 °C46 °F and lows 2 °C35 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 14.4 °C26 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,370 mm54 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is November–January, which brings 47% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: July and August. The wettest month is December (239 mm9.4 in), the driest is July (9 mm0.4 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 72% in August to 93% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 34%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 3 km/h (2 mph) in May to 4 km/h (3 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 8.8 hours in December to 15.6 hours in June.
Best time to visit Salem
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are June–September. Average highs then reach 21 °C70 °F to 27 °C80 °F. Precipitation is 9 mm0.4 in to 53 mm2.1 in per month.
The most challenging month is December, which is cold, with average highs of 8 °C46 °F and very wet (239 mm9.4 in).
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an ideal. That means an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Salem
- Winter (December–February) — highs 846 to 10 °C50 °F, lows around 2 °C35 °F, about 191 mm7.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1253 to 18 °C65 °F, lows 438 to 8 °C46 °F, about 117 mm4.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2170 to 27 °C80 °F, lows 1050 to 12 °C54 °F, about 24 mm0.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1153 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 439 to 10 °C50 °F, about 126 mm4.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Salem compares
The nearest larger place is Portland, about 70 km to the northeast. Compared with it, Salem is on average 0.6 °C1 °F cooler. It receives 8% less precipitation (1,370 mm54 in vs 1,484 mm58 in). The difference is largest in August (2 °C3.5 °F cooler).
World Climates covers 222 places in the United States. By annual mean temperature, Salem is the 163rd warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 16th wettest. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall. The closest matches are Vancouver (Canada, Csb), Victoria (Canada, Csb) and Surrey (Canada, Csb).
Nearby places
- Climate in Hillsboro 65 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,495 mm59 in
- Climate in Portland 70 km · 12 °C54 °F · 1,484 mm58 in
- Climate in Eugene 99 km · 12 °C53 °F · 1,375 mm54 in
- Climate in Seattle 301 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,232 mm49 in
- Climate in Tri-Cities 332 km · 14 °C57 °F · 278 mm11 in
- Climate in Everett 344 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,253 mm49 in
- Climate in Victoria 389 km · 11 °C51 °F · 991 mm39 in
- Climate in Abbotsford 461 km · 10 °C50 °F · 1,403 mm55 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Salem?
August is the warmest month in Salem. Its average high is 27 °C (80 °F) and its average low is 12 °C (54 °F).
What is the coldest month in Salem?
December is the coldest month. Its average high is 8 °C (46 °F) and its average low is 2 °C (35 °F).
When does it rain the most in Salem?
December is the wettest month with about 239 mm (9.4 in) of precipitation. July is the driest with about 9 mm (0.4 in).
What is the best time to visit Salem?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are June–September.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station. So they can differ from airport records. The gaps are largest on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 164 m, while Salem lies at about 49 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.7 °C1.3 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.