Well, we had our first snow storm here in Southern Oregon yesterday.  A little early for this area and early for the low temperatures this week (below freezing).  Actually it was more like very wet snow that did not stick in the valley but as I look out to the mountains, I see a dusting on top.  Snowfall in our region is usually minimal - 2.3 inches per year in lower regions and in many years is non-existent. In higher mountain regions it is more.   The nearby community ski resort - Mt. Ashland - has a 7533 ft summit  and hopefully it can open early this year -  before Thanksgiving?

Actually Southern Oregon and the Rogue Valley,  which includes Jackson and Josephine counties with the largest cities being Medford, Ashland and Grants Pass, is known for its mild climate.   Because Medford and its surrounding area sits in a weather shadow between the Cascade and Siskiyou Mountain ranges most of the rain associated with the Pacific Northwest and Oregon in particular skips this region, making it drier and sunnier than its neighbors to the north.  With its warm summers and mild climate, Southern Oregon is an excellent place to garden and raise a family. 
 
Although the Rogue Valley is still known as “pear country,” many of the old orchards are being converted to vineyards because the climate is also conducive to growing grapes and there are several local award winning wineries & vineyards throughout our area.  There is a new experimental crop emerging as well - olives!

 

Monthly Normal and Record High and Low Temperatures
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Rec High °F 71 79 86 93 103 111 115 114 110 98 77 72
Norm High °F 47.3 53.8 58.3 64.3 72.2 81.2 90.2 90.1 83.5 70 52.8 45.2
Norm Low °F 30.9 33.1 35.9 39 44 50.1 55.2 54.9 48.3 40.2 35 31
Rec Low °F -3 6 16 21 28 31 38 39 29 18 10 -6
Precip (in) 2.47 2.1 1.85 1.31 1.21 0.68 0.31 0.52 0.78 1.31 2.93 2.9
Snowfall (in) 3.2 1.2 0.7 0.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 1.5