Hardly any U.S. towns collect less precipitation than Aberdeen: 10 inches a year
High summer brings afternoon highs near 88°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 73°. In January, nights here are colder than in 84% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 21 to September 20.
A year in Aberdeen at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Aberdeen’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Aberdeen’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Aberdeen feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 118 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 21 and the first by September 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Aberdeen Exp Stn, ID, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Aberdeen’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −11°. 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 25 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Aberdeen Exp Stn, ID, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 10 inches a year; May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 72 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Aberdeen
96% 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 Aberdeen Exp Stn, ID.
Living with Aberdeen’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
118 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 21 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Aberdeen from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Aberdeen and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Aberdeen yet.
Climates most like Aberdeen’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen, ID | 15° | 88° | 10" | 25" |
| Gallup, NM | 17° | 88° | 10" | 34" |
| Ephraim, UT | 14° | 89° | 12" | 20" |
| Montrose, CO | 15° | 90° | 10" | 22" |
| Lockwood, MT | 15° | 88° | 15" | 35" |
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 Aberdeen averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 85% 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 Aberdeen compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Aberdeen’s place among Idaho’s.
Aberdeen weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Aberdeen’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Aberdeen Exp Stn, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 15° | 1.0" | 7.7" | 8 | 19 | 14° – 32° |
| February | 38° | 19° | 0.7" | 5.1" | 7 | 13 | 18° – 37° |
| March | 49° | 26° | 0.9" | 1.8" | 6 | 4 | 32° – 43° |
| April | 58° | 32° | 1.0" | 0.5" | 7 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 40° | 1.3" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| June | 77° | 46° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| July | 88° | 52° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 60° – 76° |
| August | 87° | 51° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 63° – 72° |
| September | 77° | 42° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| October | 61° | 32° | 0.9" | 0.5" | 6 | 0 | 38° – 54° |
| November | 45° | 23° | 0.7" | 2.0" | 6 | 3 | 26° – 41° |
| December | 33° | 16° | 1.0" | 7.5" | 8 | 16 | 18° – 30° |
| Year | 59° | 33° | 10.1" | 25.2" | 72 | 54 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 18° to 37°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Aberdeen’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 Aberdeen’s center.
- Snow: Aberdeen Exp Stn, ID (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Aberdeen Exp Stn, ID, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Aberdeen’s climate
What is the weather like in Aberdeen?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 67% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Aberdeen in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 196 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How much snow does Aberdeen get?
About 25 inches in a normal winter at Aberdeen Exp Stn, ID, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 54 days a year.
How hot does it get in Aberdeen?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 52°. About 30 days a year reach 90° (Aberdeen Exp Stn, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Aberdeen?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 21 and the first fall frost by September 20, about 118 frost-free days, at Aberdeen Exp Stn, ID.
What growing zone is Aberdeen in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Aberdeen?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Aberdeen getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 85% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Aberdeen.
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.