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The Coast Range, to the west of the Dundee Hills area, lessens the harsh effects of the Pacific Ocean’s heavy rains and windstorms, and causes a rain shadow effect in the Dundee Hills area. Annually, the Coast Range receives 90 to 135 inches of rain, while the Dundee Hills area gets about a third that much – 30 to 40 inches of rain annually.
The Eola Hills, 20 miles to the south of the Dundee Hills, receive a strong cooling marine influence that pushes inland from the Pacific Ocean through the Van Duzer Corridor, an opening in the Coast Range. This marine effect loses most of its cooling benefit before reaching the Dundee Hills viticultural area. From Dundee Hills Petition, Establishment of the Dundee Hills Viticultural Area Agency: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), Treasury, November 18, 2004 Check the current weather in the Dundee Hills HERE |
The Dundee Hills viticultural area, with warmer nights and less frost than the adjacent valley floors, is protected from great climatic variations by surrounding geographic features. To the north, the tall Chehalem Mountains buffer the climatic influence of the Columbia River Gorge, which funnels cold air in the winter and warm air in the summer into the Willamette Valley from the interior of northern Oregon. In addition, the Willamette Valley, located to the east and south of the Dundee Hills area, has spring and fall fog and frost, which is created as cool night air drains from the hillsides onto the valley floor.
The Yamhill-Carlton viticultural area, located between the Coast Range and the Dundee Hills area, has a stronger marine-influenced climate, with more wind and rainfall than the Dundee Hills viticultural area. The Yamhill-Carlton region averages 60 inches of annual precipitation and has 150 fewer degree-growing days than the Dundee area.