Mount San Jacinto State Park Historic District · Photo: Own work · CC BY 3.0Dry weather: only 17 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Idyllwild-Pine Cove, less than in 91% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 85°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 78% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 2.0° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Homes need heating from November to March, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Idyllwild-Pine Cove at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Idyllwild-Pine Cove’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Idyllwild-Pine Cove’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Idyllwild-Pine Cove feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 160 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by October 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Idyllwild Fire Dept, CA, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Idyllwild-Pine Cove’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 31 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Idyllwild Fire Dept, CA, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; February is the wettest month and June the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 47 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Idyllwild-Pine Cove
89% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Idyllwild Fire Dept, CA.
Living with Idyllwild-Pine Cove’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
160 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by May 16 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October. 71 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Idyllwild-Pine Cove from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (77%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Idyllwild-Pine Cove and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Idyllwild-Pine Cove yet.
Climates most like Idyllwild-Pine Cove’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idyllwild-Pine Cove, CA | 33° | 85° | 17" | 31" |
| Hood River, OR | 32° | 85° | 23" | 17" |
| Pullman, WA | 27° | 84° | 20" | 33" |
| Indian Hills, NV | 25° | 86° | 14" | 14" |
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | 26° | 83° | 26" | 27" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Idyllwild-Pine Cove averaged 2.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 88% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Idyllwild-Pine Cove compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Idyllwild-Pine Cove’s place among California’s.
Idyllwild-Pine Cove weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Idyllwild-Pine Cove’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Idyllwild Fire Dept, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 33° | 3.4" | 6.3" | 7 | 39° – 50° |
| February | 53° | 33° | 3.9" | 9.8" | 8 | 36° – 51° |
| March | 58° | 35° | 2.5" | 4.1" | 6 | 39° – 54° |
| April | 63° | 38° | 1.2" | 3.5" | 4 | 44° – 55° |
| May | 70° | 44° | 0.4" | 0.5" | 2 | 50° – 64° |
| June | 80° | 52° | 0.1" | 0.0" | 0 | 59° – 71° |
| July | 85° | 59° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 66° – 76° |
| August | 86° | 59° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 2 | 69° – 76° |
| September | 81° | 54° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 64° – 72° |
| October | 70° | 45° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 3 | 54° – 63° |
| November | 60° | 38° | 1.4" | 2.3" | 4 | 41° – 54° |
| December | 52° | 33° | 2.6" | 4.2" | 6 | 38° – 49° |
| Year | 68° | 44° | 17.2" | 30.7" | 47 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. March swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 39° to 54°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Idyllwild-Pine Cove’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Idyllwild-Pine Cove’s center.
- Snow: Idyllwild Fire Dept, CA (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Idyllwild Fire Dept, CA, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft lower; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Idyllwild-Pine Cove’s climate
What is the weather like in Idyllwild-Pine Cove?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 51% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Idyllwild-Pine Cove in winter?
December nights average 33°. About 107 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 38°.
How much snow does Idyllwild-Pine Cove get?
About 31 inches in a normal winter at Idyllwild Fire Dept, CA, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Idyllwild-Pine Cove?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 59°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Idyllwild Fire Dept, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Idyllwild-Pine Cove?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by October 24, about 160 frost-free days, at Idyllwild Fire Dept, CA.
What growing zone is Idyllwild-Pine Cove in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Idyllwild-Pine Cove?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Idyllwild-Pine Cove getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Idyllwild-Pine Cove.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.