Bruneau Episcopal Church · Photo: Ian Poellet · CC BY-SA 4.0Bruneau reaches 100° on about 11 days a year, more than 92% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 25°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in May and the lightest in August. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than almost every U.S. town. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Bruneau at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bruneau’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bruneau’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Bruneau feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 181 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 17 and the first by October 17. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bruneau, ID, 0.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bruneau’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 4°. 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 7 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Bruneau
81% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Bruneau, ID.
Living with Bruneau’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
181 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 17 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 17.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bruneau from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (51%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bruneau and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bruneau yet.
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 Bruneau averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°).
A smaller shift than in 51% 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 Bruneau compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bruneau’s place among Idaho’s.
Bruneau weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bruneau’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 42° | 25° | 0.8" | 24° – 40° |
| February | 49° | 28° | 0.4" | 32° – 46° |
| March | 59° | 34° | 0.7" | 42° – 51° |
| April | 66° | 38° | 0.7" | 47° – 58° |
| May | 76° | 46° | 1.0" | 55° – 66° |
| June | 85° | 53° | 0.6" | 63° – 77° |
| July | 95° | 61° | 0.1" | 68° – 83° |
| August | 94° | 58° | 0.1" | 70° – 79° |
| September | 83° | 48° | 0.3" | 62° – 69° |
| October | 69° | 37° | 0.5" | 47° – 60° |
| November | 53° | 30° | 0.6" | 34° – 48° |
| December | 42° | 24° | 0.7" | 28° – 39° |
| Year | 68° | 40° | 6.6" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 24° to 40°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Bruneau’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 Bruneau’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bruneau, ID, 0.7 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 Bruneau’s climate
What is the weather like in Bruneau?
A typical July afternoon reaches 95°, a January night drops to 25°. Milder January nights than 64% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bruneau in winter?
December nights average 24°. About 121 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 28°.
How hot does it get in Bruneau?
July, with a typical high of 95° and a low of 61°. About 63 days a year reach 90° and 11 reach 100° (Bruneau, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Bruneau?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 17 and the first fall frost by October 17, about 181 frost-free days, at Bruneau, ID.
What growing zone is Bruneau in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bruneau?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bruneau getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 51% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bruneau.
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.