Baker County lies in northeast Oregon near the Idaho border. It is wholly within Climate Division 8 (Northeast Oregon) established by the National Climatic Data Center. Below is a description of the climate of Division 8, followed by specific descriptions of Baker County. Climate tables for various parameters, as observed at long-term climate stations in Baker County, are included below.
Climate Division 8— Northeast Oregon
Climate Zone 8 occupies the northeastern corner of Oregon, occupying all of Wallowa, Baker, and Union Counties as well as portions of Umatilla and Grant. The area includes several sizable mountain ranges with large valleys between them. Among the larger cities are La Grande, Baker City, John Day, and Enterprise, although the biggest of these (La Grande) has a population of only slightly above 10,000 residents.
Several million acres of Federal land are being utilized by ranchers for livestock which is the major industry in this region. Beef cattle are the main livestock raised, but sheep, dairy herds, poultry, and hogs are significant income sources as well. Field crops are also an important commodity and include wheat, potatoes, barley, oats, and grass seed. Lumber is also produced in significant quantities from the forested areas in the region.
Annual precipitation totals in Zone 8 valley areas are generally below 20 inches. Some locations surrounded by high mountains, such as Baker City and Unity, barely exceed 10 inches per year. High elevation sites, on the other hand, receive much larger annual totals. Locations near the top of the Wallowa Mountains, for example, may exceed 100 inches precipitation per year, much of it in the form of snow. Figure 1 shows NOAA climate stations in Zone 8, which were in operation during the 1961-90 period. Figure 2 shows Baker County mean annual precipitation (1971-2000 averages). Table 1 lists monthly and annual normal precipitation at Zone 8 sites. Highest normal precipitation totals tend to be in winter and late spring. Unlike most of Oregon, Zone 8's monthly distribution in comparison is remarkably uniform throughout the year. Tables 2a and 2b list the average number of days with precipitation amounts exceeding certain thresholds.
Zone 8's distance from the ocean causes its annual temperature variations to be rather large. Table 3 lists normal monthly temperatures at stations in the area. Mean maximum temperatures are mostly in the 80's in summer months and in the 30's in winter. The dry, clear summer days are usually followed by cool nights; nighttime lows generally average in the 40's. The coldest temperatures in the region (and probably in the state) are observed in Seneca, located in a deep valley surrounded by mountain ridges. January low temperatures in Seneca average a cold 8.4 deg F. Annually, Seneca experiences an average of 22 days with below-zero temperatures. Seneca is in a tie for the coldest temperature ever recorded in Oregon, -54 deg F, set in February 1933.
Table 4 lists average monthly and annual snowfall totals for various stations.
Tables 5 and 6 list median frost dates and mean growing seasons, respectively, for four different temperature thresholds. While some of the lower valley sites have fairly long growing seasons, a few of the colder locations have very short seasons. At Seneca, Austin, and Ukiah, the mean length of time between freezing temperatures is less than six weeks.
Tables 7 and 8 list average monthly and annual heating and growing degree days, respectively.
County Description
Established: Sep. 22, 1862
Population: 16,700
Area: 3,089 sq. mi.
Economy: Agriculture, forest products, manufacturing and recreation.
County Seat:Baker City
Baker County was established from part of Wasco County and named after Col. Edward D. Baker, a U.S. Senator from Oregon. A Union officer and close friend of President Lincoln, Colonel Baker was the only member of Congress to die in the Civil War. He was killed at Balls Bluff. Auburn, which no longer exists, was the first county seat. Baker City, which was incorporated in 1874 and which is the 17th oldest city in Oregon, became county seat in 1868. Before 1861, the majority of immigrants only paused in Baker County on their way west, unaware of its vast agricultural and mineral resources. Then the great gold rush began and Baker County became one of the Northwest's largest gold producers. Farming, ranching, logging, and recreation have become the chief economic bases for an area that displays spectacular scenery, including the world's deepest gorge--Hells Canyon; an outstanding museum with the famous Cavin-Walfel rock collection; and numerous historic buildings with interesting architectural features.
(County information obtained from Oregon Blue Book)
Climate Tables (Baker County, Oregon)
Table
1. Precipitation, Monthly and Annual Averages (1971-2000)
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Table 2a.
Average number of Days with Selected Precipitation Amounts, Baker
FAA AP, 1971-2000
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Table 2b. Average number of Days with Selected Precipitation Amounts, Halfway,
1971-2000
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Table 3. Monthly
and Annual Average Temperatures (deg F), Baker FAA AP (1862), 1971-2000
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Table 4. Snowfall,
Monthly and Annual Averages (1971-2000)
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Table 5. Median
Spring and Fall Frost Dates, Baker FAA AP, 1971-2000
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Table 6. Average
Growing Season, Baker FAA AP, 1971-2000
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Table 7.
Monthly and Annual Average Heating Degree
Days (base 65°F),
1971-2000
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Table 8.
Monthly and Annual Average Growing Degree
Days (base 50°F), 1971-2000
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