Oregon extreme cold
Every recorded extreme cold record since 1996 · 33 counties with a record
NOAA's Storm Events Database records 1,168 extreme cold records in Oregon from 1996 through June 30, 2026, about 43 a year since 2000. The deadliest was the January 1, 2017 cold/wind chill in Clackamas County and 2 more: 4 deaths. Oregon ranks 16th of 51 states and territories by count and 30th of 50 per square mile.
Extreme cold in Oregon, 1996 to 2026
Cold records per year (NOAA Storm Events); 2026 to June 30, 2026.
- recorded, no damage figure
- under $1 million
- $1 million or more
- $10 million or more
- $100 million or more, or 10 deaths
- $1 billion or more, or 100 deaths
- a year's colour: its recorded damage or deaths
- a year with a death
- Records
- 1,1681996 to June 30, 2026
- A year since 2000
- 43average
- Deaths
- 91 injuries
- Damage, 2025 dollars
- $98Kas filed
- Busiest year
- 201398 records
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; deaths and damage as filed, damage in 2025 dollars. Search the record at NCEI.
Are extreme cold records common in Oregon?
Oregon averages about 43 extreme cold records a year since 2000, 16th of 51 states and territories by count. The busiest year on record was 2013 (98). Per 10,000 square miles of land, Oregon records 122 extreme cold records since 1996, 30th of 50 states and territories by that measure.
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records since 1996, per 10,000 square miles of land area (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer; places under 1,000 square miles not ranked). Damage colours: Storm Events damage, 2025 dollars.
Which counties in Oregon have the most extreme cold records?
Per square mile, Curry County leads Oregon: 309 days with a extreme cold record since 1996, 189.8 per 1,000 square miles of land. By raw count, Curry County has the most cold records (410 since 1996); large counties collect more records simply by covering more ground, so the ranking counts days with a record per unit of area (a storm filed for several forecast zones adds several records but one day).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, days with a record in the county since 1996 per 1,000 square miles of land (Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer); in brackets, the count of records.
When is the cold season in Oregon?
Oregon's extreme cold records by month. The busiest month is October (161 records).
The values, month by month
Jan 94 · Feb 81 · Mar 68 · Apr 150 · May 67 · Jun 135 · Jul 12 · Aug 21 · Sep 159 · Oct 161 · Nov 93 · Dec 127 (records).
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records by the month they began, since 1996.
What were the deadliest extreme cold records in Oregon?
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-01-01 | Cold/Wind ChillClackamas County and 2 more · forecast zone Greater Portland Metro Area Cold temperatures claimed four lives in the Portland area. The victims were homeless and died of hypothermia from exposure to the cold temperatures. | 4 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-02 | Cold/Wind ChillMultnomah County and Clackamas County · forecast zone Inner Portland Metro A Multnomah County Medical Examiner reported that a man died from hyperthermia on Feb 2 in the 97219 ZIP code. The morning temperatures were around 35 degrees Fahrenheit with light precipitation and calm winds. It is unclear whether the death was due to the temperatures from this day or a prolonged exposure to cold as ... | 1 | 1 | – | |
| 2014-11-15 | Frost/FreezeClackamas County and 2 more · forecast zone North Oregon Cascades Foothills Frost on the roads and bridges resulted in several traffic accidents, including one fatality on Highway 103 near the US-26 intersection. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2009-12-05 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillJackson County · forecast zone Jackson County Low temperatures in this zone during this interval were generally in the teens. On the coldest nights...the 9th and the 10th, the coldest stations dipped into the single digits. Temperatures warmed on the 11th but remained well below normal...and became more seasonable on the 12th. Numerous broken pipes and other ... | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2018-11-12 | Cold/Wind ChillJackson County · forecast zone Jackson County A 39 year old man was found deceased in an irrigation ditch in Medford on the morning of 11/12/2018. Evidence collected indicated that hypothermia was the cause of death. The low temperature in Medford that morning was 25 degrees. | 1 | 0 | – | |
| 2004-01-05 | Cold/Wind ChillUnion County · forecast zone Grand Ronde Valley A three year old toddler was found dead outside his home at approximately 3:30 am on January 6th. The boy had left his house without winter clothing during the middle of the night. | 1 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database: deaths direct and indirect, as filed by the National Weather Service, summed over each storm (one episode, or one named storm filed by several offices). Storm names from the titles of FEMA declarations that name the storm's counties.
Are extreme cold records becoming more frequent in Oregon?
Oregon's count per decade against the whole country's, and its share. NOAA recorded every event type only from 1996, so earlier decades are not comparable; the share of the national total is the fairer comparison across decades.
| Decade | Oregon | United States | Oregon's share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-99 | 53 | 5,539 | 1.0% |
| 2000s | 394 | 14,792 | 2.7% |
| 2010s | 469 | 18,162 | 2.6% |
| 2020-26 | 252 | 15,329 | 1.6% |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database.
The most recent extreme cold records in Oregon
| Date | Record | Character | Killed | Injured | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-17 | Frost/FreezeCoos County and Douglas County · forecast zone Central Douglas County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-16 | Frost/FreezeJackson County · forecast zone Jackson County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-16 | Frost/FreezeCurry County and Josephine County · forecast zone Eastern Curry County & Josephine County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-03 | Frost/FreezeJackson County · forecast zone Jackson County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-04-03 | Frost/FreezeCurry County and Josephine County · forecast zone Eastern Curry County & Josephine County | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2026-02-18 | Frost/FreezeCoos County and 2 more · forecast zone South Central Oregon Coast | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-18 | Frost/FreezeGilliam County and 2 more · forecast zone Eastern Columbia River Gorge | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-11-18 | Frost/FreezeSherman County and Wasco County · forecast zone North Central Oregon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-22 | Frost/FreezeUmatilla County · forecast zone Foothills Of The Northern Blue Mountains Of Oregon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-04-17 | Frost/FreezeUmatilla County · forecast zone Foothills Of The Northern Blue Mountains Of Oregon | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-12 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillGilliam County and 5 more · forecast zone Southern Blue Mountains | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2025-02-12 | Extreme Cold/Wind ChillUmatilla County and 2 more · forecast zone Northern Blue Mountains | 0 | 0 | – |
Source: NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, records through June 30, 2026; the newest months are revised by NCEI as reports arrive. Search the record at NCEI.
Next
- Curry County: the county's whole recordThe Oregon county with the most extreme cold records per square mile
- Extreme cold across the United StatesEvery state ranked, by year and month
- Every natural hazard in OregonTornadoes, floods, storms, heat and the federal declarations
- High wind and dust storms in Oregon3,172 records
- Winter storms in Oregon2,768 records
- Hail in Oregon856 records