Photo: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 3.0Less rain and snow falls on Idledale than on 89% of U.S. towns: 20 inches a year
In January the night’s low is typically 20°. Only 63° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 73% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 16, with the first autumn frost due around October 1.
A year in Idledale at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Idledale’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Idledale’s place in Colorado beside it.
What a year in Idledale feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 136 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Roxborough Sp, CO, 19 miles from the town’s center, 490 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Idledale’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. 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 58 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lakewood, CO, falls mostly in February, March, April and November. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 20 inches a year; April is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 81 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Idledale
92% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Roxborough Sp, CO.
Living with Idledale’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
136 frost-free days in zone 5b. 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 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Idledale from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (62%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Idledale and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Idledale yet.
Climates most like Idledale’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Idledale, CO | 20° | 83° | 20" | 58" |
| Columbia Falls, MT | 18° | 82° | 20" | 54" |
| Airway Heights, WA | 24° | 84° | 17" | 45" |
| Moscow, ID | 25° | 84° | 25" | 51" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
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 Idledale averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Idledale compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Idledale’s place among Colorado’s.
Idledale weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Idledale’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lakewood, CO. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 20° | 0.7" | 8.0" | 5 | 10 | 25° – 38° |
| February | 45° | 21° | 0.9" | 8.6" | 5 | 10 | 27° – 40° |
| March | 51° | 27° | 1.9" | 9.2" | 6 | 6 | 33° – 45° |
| April | 57° | 31° | 2.8" | 9.1" | 7 | 3 | 38° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 2.7" | 1.7" | 10 | 1 | 47° – 57° |
| June | 77° | 49° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| July | 83° | 55° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 73° |
| August | 81° | 54° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 70° |
| September | 74° | 46° | 1.6" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| October | 62° | 35° | 1.3" | 5.2" | 6 | 2 | 41° – 54° |
| November | 51° | 27° | 1.0" | 9.2" | 4 | 6 | 31° – 46° |
| December | 44° | 20° | 0.7" | 6.7" | 4 | 10 | 25° – 36° |
| Year | 61° | 35° | 19.9" | 58.0" | 81 | 47 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 31° to 46°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Idledale’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 Idledale’s center.
- Snow: Lakewood, CO.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Roxborough Sp, CO, 19 miles from the town’s center, 490 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 Idledale’s climate
What is the weather like in Idledale?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 58 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Idledale in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 165 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Idledale get?
About 58 inches in a normal winter at Lakewood, CO, most of it in February, March, April and November, with snow on the ground about 47 days a year.
How hot does it get in Idledale?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 55°. About 22 days a year reach 90° (Roxborough Sp, CO).
When is the first and last frost in Idledale?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 136 frost-free days, at Roxborough Sp, CO.
What growing zone is Idledale in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Idledale?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Idledale getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Idledale.
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.