Photo: Russell Lee · Public domainCascade gets about 86 inches of snow a winter, more than 96% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 86 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Cascade at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cascade’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cascade’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Cascade feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 110 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 30 and the first by September 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cascade 1 Nw, ID, 1.0 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cascade’s center in zone 5a: 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 86 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cascade 1 Nw, ID, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 26 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 132 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cascade
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September 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 Cascade 1 Nw, ID.
Living with Cascade’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
110 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 30 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 19 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cascade from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cascade and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cascade yet.
Climates most like Cascade’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cascade, ID | 13° | 83° | 26" | 86" |
| Spearfish, SD | 15° | 86° | 25" | 71" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
| Bozeman, MT | 13° | 83° | 17" | 91" |
| Monument, CO | 14° | 83° | 22" | 121" |
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 Cascade averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.6°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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 Cascade compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cascade’s place among Idaho’s.
Cascade weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cascade’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cascade 1 Nw, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 13° | 3.3" | 21.8" | 15 | 31 | 17° – 29° |
| February | 38° | 15° | 2.7" | 14.1" | 12 | 27 | 21° – 34° |
| March | 46° | 22° | 2.9" | 9.2" | 14 | 23 | 29° – 41° |
| April | 53° | 27° | 2.3" | 3.3" | 13 | 5 | 34° – 47° |
| May | 63° | 35° | 2.3" | 0.4" | 13 | 0 | 43° – 54° |
| June | 72° | 40° | 1.8" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| July | 83° | 46° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 54° – 70° |
| August | 83° | 44° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| September | 73° | 37° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 51° – 59° |
| October | 58° | 29° | 1.8" | 0.9" | 10 | 1 | 36° – 50° |
| November | 41° | 22° | 2.9" | 10.1" | 14 | 12 | 24° – 39° |
| December | 32° | 14° | 3.9" | 26.4" | 16 | 27 | 17° – 28° |
| Year | 56° | 29° | 25.8" | 86.3" | 132 | 125 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. July swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 54° to 70°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Cascade’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 Cascade’s center.
- Snow: Cascade 1 Nw, ID (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cascade 1 Nw, ID, 1.0 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 Cascade’s climate
What is the weather like in Cascade?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 86 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cascade in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 225 nights a year reach 32° or below and 18 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Cascade get?
About 86 inches in a normal winter at Cascade 1 Nw, ID, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 125 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cascade?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 46°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Cascade 1 Nw, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Cascade?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 30 and the first fall frost by September 19, about 110 frost-free days, at Cascade 1 Nw, ID.
What growing zone is Cascade in?
Zone 5a 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 Cascade?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Cascade getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cascade.
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.