Climate snapshot for alpacas
92/100Alpaca climate comfort score
75°FAverage high, Aug
27°FAverage low, Dec
~0Days above 90°F (32°C) per year
~124Frost nights per year
59 inAnnual precipitation
1Barber pole worm months
18Hay bales / alpaca / year
Main challenges
- Wet ground — 59 in of rain a year — mud, foot problems and fluke habitat
- Low selenium — regional soils and hay tend to be selenium-deficient
Advantages
- Summers rarely reach heat-stress levels for alpacas
- Winters are cold but rarely severe
- Short or no barber pole worm transmission season
- Low meningeal worm risk
Overall rating: 92/100 — Excellent on our alpaca climate comfort score. Climate type: Mediterranean-influenced warm-summer continental (Köppen Dsb).
Month-by-month climate
Average highAverage lowPrecipitation
| Month | High | Low | Precip. | Heat-stress index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38°F | 28°F | 8.9 in | 115 · ok | frost |
| Feb | 40°F | 28°F | 6.4 in | 115 · ok | frost |
| Mar | 46°F | 31°F | 6.5 in | 112 · ok | frost |
| Apr | 51°F | 34°F | 4.7 in | 115 · ok | — |
| May | 59°F | 40°F | 3.1 in | 114 · ok | grass |
| Jun | 65°F | 45°F | 2.2 in | 109 · ok | worms, grass |
| Jul | 75°F | 51°F | 0.5 in | 105 · ok | — |
| Aug | 75°F | 51°F | 0.7 in | 118 · ok | — |
| Sep | 68°F | 46°F | 1.8 in | 112 · ok | grass |
| Oct | 55°F | 38°F | 5.3 in | 112 · ok | grass |
| Nov | 43°F | 32°F | 8.8 in | 116 · ok | frost |
| Dec | 36°F | 27°F | 10.2 in | 110 · ok | frost |
Heat-stress index = average high (°F) + mean humidity (%). “Worms” marks months that suit barber pole worm transmission; “grass” marks the grazing season; “frost” marks months with average lows below freezing. Source: NOAA nClimDiv 1991–2020 county normals.
Alpaca care calendar for Hood River County, Oregon
January 38° / 28°F
- Freezing nights: keep water open and feed extra hay during cold snaps.
- Vitamin D for crias and juveniles (ask your vet about product and dose).
- Toenail check and trim.
February 40° / 28°F
- Freezing nights: keep water open and feed extra hay during cold snaps.
- Vitamin D for crias and juveniles (ask your vet about product and dose).
March 46° / 31°F
- Book your shearer now — spring calendars fill up fast.
- Freezing nights: keep water open and feed extra hay during cold snaps.
- Vitamin D for crias and juveniles (ask your vet about product and dose).
- Toenail check and trim.
April 51° / 34°F
- CDT boosters for females due next month; prepare a clean birthing paddock and birthing kit.
May 59° / 40°F
- Shearing month: shear the whole herd, and trim toenails, check teeth and body condition while animals are restrained.
- Run pre-season fecal egg counts so you know each animal's baseline.
- Cria season: check due dates daily, ensure crias nurse within 4 hours, dip navels and weigh crias daily for two weeks.
- Spring grass: switch from hay to pasture gradually over 1–2 weeks and monitor body condition.
- Toenail check and trim.
June 65° / 45°F
- Barber pole worm season: fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks, check eyelid color, pick up dung piles twice a week.
- Cria season: check due dates daily, ensure crias nurse within 4 hours, dip navels and weigh crias daily for two weeks.
- Breeding window for next year's crias (rebreed females 2–4 weeks after birthing).
- Secure winter hay: about 18 small square bales per alpaca per year here — test a sample before buying.
July 75° / 51°F
- Cria season: check due dates daily, ensure crias nurse within 4 hours, dip navels and weigh crias daily for two weeks.
- Breeding window for next year's crias (rebreed females 2–4 weeks after birthing).
- Fly season: clean dung piles regularly and use traps around the barn.
- Toenail check and trim.
August 75° / 51°F
- Cria season: check due dates daily, ensure crias nurse within 4 hours, dip navels and weigh crias daily for two weeks.
- Breeding window for next year's crias (rebreed females 2–4 weeks after birthing).
- Fly season: clean dung piles regularly and use traps around the barn.
September 68° / 46°F
- Breeding window for next year's crias (rebreed females 2–4 weeks after birthing).
- Fly season: clean dung piles regularly and use traps around the barn.
- Toenail check and trim.
October 55° / 38°F
- Winter prep: install water heaters, repair shelters and windbreaks, stock bedding.
- Vitamin D for crias and juveniles (ask your vet about product and dose).
November 43° / 32°F
- Freezing nights: keep water open and feed extra hay during cold snaps.
- Vitamin D for crias and juveniles (ask your vet about product and dose).
- Toenail check and trim.
December 36° / 27°F
- Freezing nights: keep water open and feed extra hay during cold snaps.
- Vitamin D for crias and juveniles (ask your vet about product and dose).
Key recommendations
- Shearing: May.
- Best months for crias to be born: May–Aug (breed in Jun–Sep).
- Heat precautions: rarely needed — still provide shade and water.
- Barber pole worm season: Jun — run fecal egg counts every 4–6 weeks in these months.
- Freezing nights: Nov–Mar — keep water from freezing.
- Vitamin D for crias: Oct–Mar.
- Grazing season: May–Jun, Sep–Oct (about 4 months); feed hay the rest of the year.
- Meningeal worm: Meningeal worm is not established in this region.
- Selenium: Soils and hay in this state are often selenium-deficient. Use a camelid mineral formulated for low-selenium areas and blood-test a few animals each year.
Tools: heat-stress calculator · winter hay calculator · due-date calculator · parasite control guide.
Alpaca farms & shops nearby
No alpaca farms near Hood River County, Oregon are mapped on OpenStreetMap yet. If you keep alpacas here, consider adding your farm to OpenStreetMap — it will appear on this page after the next update.
Frequently asked questions
Can you raise alpacas in Hood River County, Oregon?
Yes. Alpacas are kept successfully in most climates with good management. Hood River County, Oregon scores 92/100 (excellent) on our alpaca climate comfort scale; the key issues are wet ground and low selenium.
When should alpacas be shorn in Hood River County, Oregon?
Plan shearing for May, once nights stay above about 38°F (3°C) but before summer heat builds.
What is the best time for crias to be born in Hood River County, Oregon?
Mild months suit newborn crias best — here that is May–Aug. For births then, breed females in Jun–Sep (gestation is about 335 days).
How much hay does an alpaca need per year in Hood River County, Oregon?
With roughly 8 months of little or no grazing, plan on about 900 lb (408 kg) — around 18 small square bales — per adult alpaca per year, plus waste.
Nearby counties
Coordinates 45.512, -121.656 · land area 522 sq mi. Long-term averages, not forecasts. See methodology and data sources. Back to Oregon.