Weather StoryAlmanac, microseasons, and the day's weather story.

Salem, Oregon Weather

August Arrives Dimmed. Day 43 of summer. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Salem weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar

Salem, OR
Sunday, August 2 at 7:56 AM
59
°
Partly Cloudy
Feels like
59°
Humidity
74%
Wind
2 mph
Sunrise
10:59 PM
Sunset
1:37 PM
Salem, OR
Hour by hour · 24h
24-Hour ForecastSalem, OR: 24-hour forecast. Temperatures range from 50 to 74 degrees Fahrenheit.
L 50°H 74°
Salem, OR
7-day forecast
  1. Today
    Aug 2
    Overcast
    —
    —
    74°53°—
  2. Monday
    Aug 3
    Clear
    —
    —
    85°50°+11°
  3. Tuesday
    Aug 4
    Overcast
    —
    —
    98°52°+13°
  4. Wednesday
    Aug 5
    Overcast
    —
    —
    101°58°+3°
  5. Thursday
    Aug 6
    Clear
    —
    —
    101°60°0°
  6. Friday
    Aug 7
    Clear
    —
    —
    93°53°-8°
  7. Saturday
    Aug 8
    Clear
    —
    —
    90°54°-3°
Salem, OR
Next 24 hours · Cool now
45°63°80°12p6p12a6anow 56°high 74°low 50°
Salem, OR
Anemometer · 24h winds · from true
NESW
From · True
NNW
330° · veering 116°
Direction
NNW
330°
Sustained
2
mph
Gust
4
mph
Peak 24h
18
avg 6 mph
Beaufort · 1 · LIGHT AIR
0
CALM
<1
1
LIGHT AIR
1–3
2
LIGHT BRZ
4–7
3
GENTLE BRZ
8–12
4
MOD BRZ
13–18
5
FRESH BRZ
19–24
6
STRONG BRZ
25–31
7
NEAR GALE
32–38
24h · sust vs gust · mph
avg 6 mph · pk 18 mph @ 7:00p
0102030MPHB1B2B3B4B5B6-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOWpk 264SUSTGUST
−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
A whisper of wind — leaves barely shift on the trees.
Salem, OR
Barometer · 24h pressure · mb
STORMRAINCHANGEFAIRDRY9901000101010201030
Pressure · mb
1016.0
-0.1 mb in 3h · steady · 30.00 inHg
Now
1016.0
mb
3h
-0.1
mb
12h
+0.6
mb
24h
+1.0
mb
Regime · FAIR
STORM
RAIN
CHANGE
FAIR
DRY
24h · Pressure · mb
range 1015–1017
1010RAIN|CHG1015CHG|FAIR10201025FAIR|DRY-21h-18h-15h-12h-9h-6h-3h-24hNOW1016.61014.91015.9
Fair, steady air — a quiet anticyclone holds the sky.
Salem, OR
Air quality
23
AQI
Good
→0 in 6h

AQI 23 (Good), driven by PM2.5. AQI flat over the last 6 hours (within ±3 points). PM2.5 at 5.0 µg/m³ (AQI 28) with a 0.72 fine-to-coarse ratio and 2 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in stagnant air, not road dust.

OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.

PM 2.5DRIVERGood
5.0μg/m³
PM 10Good
7μg/m³
NO₂Good
6μg/m³
OzoneGood
24μg/m³
UV IndexLow
0.2

What's driving it

PM × Wind × Precip

PM2.5 at 5.0 µg/m³ (AQI 28) with a 0.72 fine-to-coarse ratio and 2 mph wind — combustion smoke trapped in stagnant air, not road dust.

PM2.5/PM10
0.72
Wind
calm
Recent rain
0h in last 6h
Pattern
stagnant smoke

Trends

Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.

Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).

7-DAY AQI TREND50100SUNMONTUEWEDTHUFRISATSUN7-DAY PM2.5 TREND · μg/m³300
Salem, OR
Sky cover · visibility · 24h
Cloud cover
52%
PARTLY CLOUDY
100%0%−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Visibility
41.0mi
UNLIMITED
90 mi0 mi−24h−18h−12h−6hnow
Earth · GOES-19 ABI
Full Disk · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 full disk Visible · GeoColor
True-color daytime, blue/IR sandwich at night
14:56 UTC · Salem, OR · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · up to 10848 px
Continental US · GOES-19 ABI
CONUS Sector · Visible · GeoColor
GOES-19 CONUS Visible · GeoColor
Daytime true-color, blue-light/IR sandwich at night
14:56 UTC · Salem, OR · NOAA NESDIS / STAR · 5-min cadence · up to 10000 px
Salem, OR
Satellite · infrared · animated
Salem, OR
Loading IR frames…
IR · cloud-top temp© RainViewer · Carto
Salem, OR
Almanac · Sunday, August 2
Red sky at night, sailor's delight.
Civil dawn
5:26 AM
Sunrise
10:59 PM
Daylight
14h 38m
Sunset
1:37 PM
Civil dusk
9:12 PM
Planting note
Sow fall peas. Start kale and collard seedlings for fall.
Salem, OR
The moon
Waning Gibbous
84% illuminated
Moonrise
9:58 PM
Moonset
10:24 AM
In sign
♓︎ Pisces
Salem, OR
Microseason
Aug 1–5

August Arrives Dimmed

plant
Jan 159% of the yearDec 31

Read this microseason across nine climate regions →

Salem at a glance

  • Today vs. normal: 59°F — typical for the season
  • Last frost: May 16 (climatological average for this latitude)
  • Microseason: Aug 1–5
  • Planting window: Sow fall peas. Start kale and collard seedlings for fall.

ZIP codes: 97301, 97302, 97303, 97304, 97305, 97306, 97310, 97317

16-Day Forecast — Salem

  1. Sun74°53°0%
  2. Mon85°50°0%
  3. Tue98°52°0%
  4. Wed101°58°0%
  5. Thu101°60°0%
  6. Fri93°53°0%
  7. Sat90°54°0%
  8. Sun83°51°0%
  9. Mon84°49°0%
  10. Tue90°53°0%
  11. Wed89°53°0%
  12. Thu88°53°3%
  13. Fri92°54°3%
  14. Sat91°54°3%
  15. Sun87°53°3%
  16. Mon85°54°10%

Forecast data from Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0).

Live wind & temperature near Salem

Right now in the garden

Peak growing season

As of August 2, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.

Sun & seasons in Salem

Salem sits in Marion County, where the year’s longest day runs 15h 36m of daylight and its shortest just 8h 46m — a swing of +6h 50m between the June and December solstices. Clocks spring forward on Sunday, March 8, 2026 and fall back on Sunday, November 1, 2026.

Portland, the state’s largest city, lies about 46 miles to the NNE. The nearest town Salem tracks is Portland, roughly 46 miles to the NNE.

Air quality in Salem’s county has held roughly steady since 2020; its cleanest year on record was 2024 (median AQI 35). See the full air-quality history for Salem.

January 1–5: The Year's Deep Silence.January 6–10: The First Pressure Shift.January 11–15: The Lengthening.January 16–20: The Crows Begin.January 21–25: Skunk Cabbage Wakens.January 26–31: The Fog Deepens.February 1–5: The Sap Stirs.February 6–10: East Wind Weakens the Marine Layer.February 11–15: Thrush Song at First Light.February 16–20: The Salmon Remember.February 21–25: The Soil Awakens.February 26–28: Mist Begins to Linger.March 1–5: The Buds Emerge.March 6–10: The Small Lives Stir.March 11–15: The Spring Salmon Peak.March 16–20: Alder Catkins Dust the Air.March 21–25: Equinox Fog Clears.March 26–31: Salmonberry First Bloom.April 1–5: Thunder Rolls Down the Valleys.April 6–10: Swallows Arrive at the Bridges.April 11–15: Geese Turn Their Faces North.April 16–20: Rainbows Arc Above the Cascades.April 21–25: Reeds Rise from the Wetlands.April 26–30: Frost Releases the Garden.May 1–5: Warblers Flood the Canopy.May 6–10: Frogs Sing at Twilight.May 11–15: Earthworms Rise to Feed the Forest.May 16–20: Shoots and Sprouts Rise in Ranks.May 21–25: Silkworm Days—Full Canopy.May 26–31: Safflower Days—Late May Blooms.June 1–5: Rufous Hummingbirds Arrive.June 6–10: Oceanspray Towers.June 11–15: Solstice Light Crests.June 16–20: Thimbleberry Sweetens.June 21–25: Summer Solstice Stillness.June 26–30: Dry Pattern Deepens.July 1–5: Fireweed Ignites.July 6–10: Peak Hummingbird Wars.July 11–15: Red Huckleberry Ripens.July 16–20: Smoke Season Beckons.July 21–25: Dog Days Hold.July 26–31: Smoke Deepens.August 1–5: August Arrives Dimmed.August 6–10: Cool Wind Hints Return.August 11–15: Cicadas Crescendo.August 16–20: Marine layer deepens.August 21–25: First sweater morning.August 26–31: August snap arrives.September 1–5: Rivers quicken with silver.September 6–10: Dew settles thick.September 11–15: Raptors funnel through passes.September 16–20: Equinox—darkness gains.September 21–25: Fog locks the valleys.September 26–30: Geese stage southward.October 1–5: Mushroom flush deepens.October 6–10: Maples ignite orange.October 11–15: Frost's first mark.October 16–20: Oaks turn russet.October 21–25: First killing frost.October 26–31: Atmospheric rivers arrive.November 1–5: Maple and ivy turn to amber.November 6–10: Last leaves cling in quiet rain.November 11–15: First frost finds the lowlands.November 16–20: Bare branches open the winter sky.November 21–25: Heavy rains mask the stars.November 26–30: North wind clears the gloom.December 1–5: Darkness settles early.December 6–10: Winter cold locks the sky.December 11–15: The days reach their minimum.December 16–20: Ice forms at the margins.December 21–25: The sun turns at solstice.December 26–31: Year's end in silence.🌱February 14 — First skunk-cabbage spathes thaw their way up☀️March 20 — Spring equinox — day and night balance🌸April 5 — Cherry blossoms peak in the parks🐦May 10 — Warbler migration peaks along the coast✨May 25 — First fireflies scout the meadows at dusk🌞June 21 — Summer solstice — longest day🦗July 25 — Peak cicada chorus in the afternoons🌊August 18 — Warmest sea-surface temperatures of the year🍂September 22 — Autumn equinox — the slow turn❄️October 25 — First widespread frost in the suburbs🍁November 10 — Peak leaf color across the Hudson Valley🌙December 21 — Winter solstice — longest night

Microseason · August 1–5

August Arrives Dimmed

Smoke persists. Nights fall noticeably earlier—sunset shifts 3 minutes earlier than June's solstice. Resinous fir and cedar scent hangs thick.

Day 214 of 365 · Wedge 43 of 72

The solar year drawn as a wheel of 72 five-day windows. Each wedge is one microseason; the four colored arcs mark winter, spring, summer, and autumn; the small icons sit at notable phenological events. The crimson pointer creeps clockwise as the year turns.

Planting calendar

MonthPlantHarvest
January——
February——
March——
April——
Maylettuce, peas, spinach, radisheslettuce, peas, radishes
Junelettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squashlettuce, peas, radishes
Julytomatoes, peppers, beans, squashtomatoes, beans, summer squash
Augusttomatoes, peppers, beans, squash, fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
Septemberfall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrotstomatoes, beans, summer squash
October—winter squash, tomatoes (last)
November——
December——

A year in weather

Salem peaks at about 69°F in July and bottoms near 41°F in December; December brings the heaviest rain (7.0 inches) and July the least (0.3 inches).

MonthMean tempPrecipRainy days
January42°6.1″13
February44°4.5″10
March48°4.3″11
April51°3.1″10
May58°2.3″6
June63°1.3″4
July69°0.3″1
August69°0.4″1
September64°1.5″3
October54°3.5″7
November46°6.0″12
December41°7.0″13

Regional context

In Salem, NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals put January near 42°F and July near 69°F — a 27°F seasonal arc — with about 40.1 inches of precipitation over 91 rainy or snowy days.

Salem's moisture rides winter storm tracks: December brings 7.0 inches over 13.1 wet days, while July sees only 0.3 inches across 0.8 days in the dry warm season. That cool-season-wet pattern aligns Salem with places like Four Corners, OR, Hayesville, OR and Eola, OR.

Once Salem passes late-May, overnight freezes fade and peas, lettuce, spinach, and radishes can be sown. Tomatoes and peppers do best set out two weeks later in Salem, once nights clear the mid-40s°F. Frost returns to Salem near early-October, ending the tender-crop season. Salem's low ground holds frost later into spring than Salem's benches, which run 3-5 days ahead.

Similar climates: Four Corners, OR, Hayesville, OR, Eola, OR, Keizer, OR, Turner, OR.

Naturalist notes

Late May brings the emergence of Douglas fir pollen cones, dusting cars and walkways with yellow powder as the trees begin their reproductive cycle.

American robins start their second nesting period around this time, with pairs collecting fresh materials for new broods after their initial spring offspring have fledged.

Frequently asked

When does it freeze in Salem?
In Salem, expect the last spring frost near mid-May; Salem's first autumn frost comes around mid-October.
What is the rainy season in Salem?
Salem sees its heaviest rain in December (around 7.0 inches), part of roughly 40 inches a year.
What is the warmest month in Salem?
Salem peaks in July, when the mean runs near 69°F.
What is the coldest month in Salem?
December is Salem's coldest month, averaging about 41°F.
When can I start a vegetable garden in Salem?
In Salem, sow peas and hardy greens around mid-May; Salem's tomatoes and peppers wait two weeks more.
How many rainy days does Salem get?
Salem averages about 91 days with measurable rain or snow each year.
What hardiness zone is Salem?
Since December in Salem averages 41°F, Salem's USDA zone follows that floor — confirm it by ZIP.
What is the 10-day forecast for Salem?
Salem's extended outlook — daily high and low temperatures and precipitation chances for each upcoming day — is in the daily forecast above.
Will it rain this week in Salem?
See this week's day-by-day rain chances for Salem in the daily forecast above, and the next 24 hours in the hourly chart.
What is the weather like right now in Salem?
Current conditions for Salem and the next 24 hours — temperature, precipitation chance, and wind by the hour — are in the hourly forecast chart above.
How often is the Salem forecast updated?
The Salem forecast on this page is built from Open-Meteo weather-model data and refreshes regularly through the day.
When are sunrise and sunset in Salem?
Today's sunrise and sunset times for Salem are in the Almanac section above, along with civil dawn, civil dusk, and day length. Day length is longest near the summer solstice and shortest near the winter solstice.
How accurate is the weather forecast for Salem?
The next few days in Salem's forecast are the most reliable; accuracy declines beyond about a week as weather-model uncertainty grows.

Climate

The warm-summer Mediterranean climate of Salem, Oregon carries typical Januarys near 42°F and Julys around 69°F — 27°F of seasonal travel.

Yearly precipitation in Salem totals around 40 inches, spread over about 91 days of rain or snow.

Salem sits at 44.9°N; that 27°F seasonal swing frames planting windows and frost dates across Salem.

All cities in Oregon →

Portland, OR weather →

ZIP codes in Salem

  • 97302
  • 97301
  • 97306
  • 97304
  • 97310
  • 97317
  • 97309
  • 97311
  • 97312
  • 97314

Climate normals from the Open-Meteo Climate API. Köppen approximation from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Regions. See methodology for data sources, editorial rules, and corrections. Maintainer: Brian Tighe.