Few U.S. towns get less rain and snow than Arbon Valley: 12 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 16°. The seasons are far apart: from a winter night to a summer afternoon the average spans 72°. In January, nights here are colder than in 79% of U.S. towns. If you like long walks, June and September offer highs of 76–78°.
A year in Arbon Valley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Arbon Valley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Arbon Valley’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Arbon Valley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 117 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 23 and the first by September 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pocatello Rgnl Airport, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Arbon Valley’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 39 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pocatello Rgnl Airport, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Arbon Valley
94% 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 Pocatello Rgnl Airport.
Living with Arbon Valley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
117 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 23 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 42 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Arbon Valley from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 29%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Arbon Valley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Arbon Valley yet.
Climates most like Arbon Valley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arbon Valley, ID | 16° | 88° | 12" | 39" |
| Gallup, NM | 17° | 88° | 10" | 34" |
| Spring Creek, NV | 15° | 89° | 14" | 41" |
| Wellington, CO | 16° | 88° | 14" | 34" |
| 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 Arbon Valley averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+2.7°).
A smaller shift than in 90% 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 Arbon Valley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Arbon Valley’s place among Idaho’s.
Arbon Valley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Arbon Valley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pocatello Rgnl Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 16° | 1.1" | 8.5" | 11 | 14 | 16° – 33° |
| February | 38° | 19° | 0.9" | 7.6" | 9 | 10 | 19° – 37° |
| March | 50° | 27° | 1.2" | 4.1" | 9 | 3 | 33° – 44° |
| April | 58° | 32° | 1.3" | 2.6" | 10 | 1 | 40° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 40° | 1.5" | 0.4" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| June | 78° | 46° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| July | 88° | 53° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 61° – 75° |
| August | 87° | 51° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| September | 76° | 42° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| October | 61° | 33° | 1.0" | 1.2" | 6 | 1 | 39° – 54° |
| November | 45° | 24° | 0.9" | 4.0" | 8 | 4 | 26° – 42° |
| December | 33° | 17° | 1.2" | 10.1" | 11 | 15 | 20° – 31° |
| Year | 60° | 33° | 12.0" | 38.5" | 93 | 47 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 37°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Arbon Valley’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 Arbon Valley’s center.
- Snow: Pocatello Rgnl Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pocatello Rgnl Airport, 2.5 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 Arbon Valley’s climate
What is the weather like in Arbon Valley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 67% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Arbon Valley in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 167 nights a year reach 32° or below and 8 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Arbon Valley get?
About 39 inches in a normal winter at Pocatello Rgnl Airport, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 47 days a year.
How hot does it get in Arbon Valley?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 53°. About 39 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Pocatello Rgnl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Arbon Valley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 23 and the first fall frost by September 18, about 117 frost-free days, at Pocatello Rgnl Airport.
What growing zone is Arbon Valley in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Arbon Valley?
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 Arbon Valley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 90% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Arbon Valley.
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.