Columbia River Gorge through the year
The hiking season at Columbia River Gorge runs May to November. At about 735.6 metres, mean monthly temperature ranges from 1 in December to 21 in August.
United States · Pacific Northwest
Best time to hike Columbia River Gorge
Selected representative ERA5-Land grid cell at about 736 m; not a claim about every route across the region.
Plan with real conditions
Compare the hiking year
Start with these months
The existing model's best months. Compare the conditions below before choosing a route.
Swipe sideways to compare all conditions →
| Month | Hiking-hour temperature | Wet days per month | Days with modelled snow | Daylight | Season guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1.4°C | ≈ 19.6 | 91.7% | 9 h 12 min | No recommendation |
| February | 2.6°C | ≈ 17.7 | 89.2% | 10 h 24 min | No recommendation |
| March | 4.9°C | ≈ 20 | 84.2% | 11 h 54 min | No recommendation |
| April | 7.9°C | ≈ 18 | 53.1% | 13 h 36 min | No recommendation |
| May → | 12.5°C | ≈ 14.4 | 10.4% | 14 h 54 min | View month |
| June → | 15.7°C | ≈ 10.7 | 0.2% | 15 h 36 min | Best month |
| July → | 20.5°C | ≈ 4 | 0% | 15 h 18 min | Best month |
| August → | 20.8°C | ≈ 4.3 | 0% | 14 h 06 min | View month |
| September → | 17.2°C | ≈ 7.6 | 0% | 12 h 30 min | Best month |
| October → | 10.6°C | ≈ 14.3 | 2.4% | 10 h 54 min | View month |
| November → | 4.8°C | ≈ 19.2 | 42.5% | 9 h 30 min | View month |
| December | 1.3°C | ≈ 20.5 | 91.3% | 8 h 48 min | No recommendation |
What these numbers describe
Historical climate at one selected model cell. Higher routes, sheltered valleys and exposed ridges can differ substantially.
Model elevation: 736 m · Historical period: 1991–2025
Trail wind is not available here. This model does not resolve exposed ridges or gusts; check a local mountain forecast.
How to read these figures
Selected cell: 45.6, -121.9
Temperature sampling window (local time, limited to daylight): 08:00–18:00.
A wet day has at least 1 mm of total precipitation (including snow water equivalent). It may rain for only part of the day.
A snow day meets either model threshold: 10% snow cover or 2 cm snow depth.
Turn the climate into a trip
Choose a specific route and check its distance, ascent, difficulty, current access and forecast. These are not supplied by the climate model.
Elevation view
One reproducible reference point
The monthly value represents the selected representative ERA5-Land grid cell. It deliberately does not pretend to describe every route across the region.
45.6, -121.9 · 736 m
representative685–786 m100% weight
Months we do not recommend
5 months do not clear the gate
The record for these months is complete. They carry no hiking score because at least one critical component is at or below 20, and we would rather say so here than publish a weak recommendation.
- January1.4°C63% wet dayssnow below the floor
- February2.6°C63% wet dayssnow below the floor
- March4.9°C65% wet dayssnow below the floor
- April7.9°C60% wet dayssnow below the floor
- December1.3°C66% wet dayssnow below the floor
Similar alternatives
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More around Columbia River Gorge
Hiking areas
Why December to April are missing
In 5 of twelve months, snow lies on at least half the days at the selected grid cell. We withhold December to April not because nothing happens there, but because snow cover turns the question from a hiking decision into a winter one.
Conditions in July
The strongest scored month is July: about 21 degrees in the hiking window, rain on 13 percent of days, and 15 hours of daylight.
What these figures cover
Every figure comes from one selected ERA5-Land model grid cell at 45.60, -121.90, 735.6 metres, averaged over 1991 to 2025. It describes that point rather than every route in the region, and it is not a forecast. Wind is coarse 10 metre grid wind, not a statement about exposed paths or gusts.
Quick answers
Questions about Columbia River Gorge
- When should you hike Columbia River Gorge?
- 7 of twelve months clear our criteria, and July scores highest.
- Why are some months not recommended?
- In 5 months at least one critical component falls below the threshold, most often snow.
- What do these figures describe?
- One selected ERA5-Land model grid cell at 735.6 metres, averaged over 1991 to 2025. It is not a forecast and not a statement about individual trails.
Tours and activities around Columbia River Gorge
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