Salem, OR weather in August
Salem is warm and mostly dry in August: highs average 84°F and nights drop to about 55°F. Expect about 3 wet days. This is the peak of the warm season in Salem. A good month for most outdoor plans.
- Normal high
- 84°F
- Normal low
- 55°F
- Wet days
- 3
- 0.4 in total
- Muggy days
- 0
- dew point 65°F+
How August changes from start to finish
| August 1 | August 31 | |
|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 85°F | 81°F |
| Normal low | 56°F | 53°F |
| Chance of a wet day | 7% | 14% |
| Sunrise / sunset | 5:57 am / 8:39 pm | 6:33 am / 7:51 pm |
| Daylight | 14.7 h | 13.3 h |
Chance of a wet day: average for the first and last 7 days of the month. Times are local clock time (Pacific Time).
A typical August day
- 6 am57°Fdew point 52°F
- 9 am67°Fdew point 53°F
- Noon76°Fdew point 53°F
- 3 pm81°Fdew point 51°F
- 6 pm79°Fdew point 52°F
- 9 pm68°Fdew point 53°F
NOAA hourly normals (local standard time) from Salem Mcnary Fld (3 mi away); average wind 6 mph.
What kind of days to expect
- Comfortable dayshigh 65-80°F and dew point under 60°F12 of 31
- Hot dayshigh 90°F or more7 of 31
- Muggy daysdaily mean dew point 65°F or more0 of 31
- Wet daysat least 0.01 in of rain or melted snow3 of 31
- Notable rainat least 0.10 in1 of 31
- Freezing nightslow 32°F or below0 of 31
- Snow on the groundsnow depth 1 in or more0 of 31
Average days per August, counted from daily records for each year 1991-2020.
Rain in August
Normal precipitation is 0.4 in; a dry August brings about 0.05 in and a wet one about 0.7 in (25th and 75th percentiles). Days with half an inch or more are rare.
How August varies from year to year
- Warmest August, 1991-20202017: average high 89°F
- Coolest August1995: average high 79°F
- Wettest August1995: 1.3 in
- Driest August2006: no measurable precipitation
- Highest reading107°F (August 2, 2017)
- Lowest reading42°F (August 25, 1993)
From the station's daily records with NOAA quality flags removed; most recent date shown when a reading repeats.
August compared with July and September
| July | August | September | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Normal high | 84°F | 84°F | 78°F |
| Normal low | 55°F | 55°F | 51°F |
| Wet days | 2 | 3 | 6 |
| Comfortable days | 12 | 12 | 18 |
| Daylight | 15.2 h | 14.0 h | 12.5 h |
Highs change by 0°F from July and -6°F into September.
Nearby alternatives in August
- Cooler: Cannon Beach, OR79 mi · high 69°F · 6 wet days
How Salem ranks in August
- Normal high240th warmest of 378 cities; 2nd of 6 in Oregon
- Wet days72nd driest of 378
- Comfortable days53rd most of 341
What to pack for Salem in August
- Layers – afternoons near 84°F but nights near 55°F
- Sunglasses and sunscreen – about 14.0 hours of daylight and highs near 84°F
Heating and cooling
August has 16 heating degree days and 146 cooling degree days (base 65°F), 3% of the year's total heating and cooling demand.
Questions
How hot is Salem in August?
The normal high is 84°F and the normal low is 55°F. From 1991 to 2020 the hottest August reading was 107°F (August 2, 2017).
Does it rain a lot in Salem in August?
About 3 days in August have at least 0.01 in of precipitation, and the normal total is 0.4 in. The wettest August in 1991-2020 was in 1995 (1.3 in); the driest was in 2006, with no measurable precipitation.
Is August a good time to visit Salem?
August ranks 5th of 12 months on our comfort score for Salem (67 out of 100). It has about 12 comfortable days and about 7 days at 90°F or hotter. The best month is June.
Where the numbers come from
- Temperature, rain, frost dates and humidity and wind by hour: Salem Mcnary Fld (USW00024232), 3.1 mi SSE of the city center, 205 ft . NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snowfall: Corvallis State Univ (USC00351862), 23 mi SSW of the city center, 225 ft (68 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Snow depth: Silverton (USC00357823), 14 mi ENE of the city center, 408 ft (251 ft higher than the city). NOAA normals and daily records, 1991-2020.
- Daily humidity and wind: Mcnary Field Airport (726940-24232), 3.1 mi SSE of the city center, 208 ft (51 ft higher than the city). Hourly observations, 1991-2020.
- Not available for this location: cloud cover (no station close enough or similar enough in elevation).