BEND, Ore. – A sharp fall cold front is sending temperatures tumbling across much of central and eastern Oregon, where the season’s first widespread freeze is expected late Sunday night into early Monday morning. The chill will threaten crops, gardens, and outdoor plumbing from Bend and Redmond east through John Day, La Grande, and Enterprise.
According to the National Weather Service in Pendleton, Freeze Warnings are in effect from midnight tonight to 10 a.m. Monday for Central Oregon, the John Day Basin, the Grande Ronde Valley, and Wallowa County. Temperatures are forecast to fall between 25 and 30 degrees, with the coldest readings likely near Bend, Redmond, and Wallowa.
Forecasters warn that frost and freeze conditions could kill tender vegetation and damage unprotected outdoor plumbing. Residents should cover or bring in plants, drain irrigation lines, and wrap exposed pipes before temperatures plummet. Calm winds and clear skies will promote rapid cooling overnight, creating ideal conditions for a hard freeze in sheltered valleys.
According to local emergency managers, this early-season cold snap is a key turning point into more persistent fall weather. Daytime highs Monday will climb only into the upper 50s, with another cold night likely Monday night across interior Oregon.
Drivers may also encounter patchy frost on rural roads during the morning commute, especially along U.S. 97 and U.S. 26 near Bend and Prineville.
