Precipitation in Clifton trails that of 91% of U.S. towns: 17 inches a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 88°. May is the wettest month here, with about 3.3 times the rain of July. In January, nights here are colder than in 77% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season, with highs of 67–77°, runs through May, June and September.
A year in Clifton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Clifton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Clifton’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Clifton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 133 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Preston, ID, 9 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Clifton’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 52 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Preston, ID, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 94 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Clifton
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 Preston, ID.
Living with Clifton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
133 frost-free days in zone 6a. 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 Sep 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Clifton from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Clifton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Clifton yet.
Climates most like Clifton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton, ID | 17° | 88° | 17" | 52" |
| Arvada, CO | 20° | 88° | 17" | 55" |
| Laurel, MT | 15° | 88° | 14" | 48" |
| Alliance, NE | 13° | 88° | 17" | 45" |
| Box Elder, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 49" |
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 Clifton averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.5°).
A bigger shift than in 64% 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 Clifton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Clifton’s place among Idaho’s.
Clifton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Clifton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Preston, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 17° | 1.9" | 13.5" | 10 | 17° – 33° |
| February | 37° | 20° | 1.6" | 10.8" | 10 | 22° – 37° |
| March | 48° | 28° | 1.5" | 5.1" | 9 | 32° – 44° |
| April | 56° | 34° | 1.8" | 3.0" | 10 | 41° – 51° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 2.1" | 0.2" | 10 | 47° – 59° |
| June | 77° | 47° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 56° – 69° |
| July | 88° | 55° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 61° – 76° |
| August | 86° | 54° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 64° – 73° |
| September | 75° | 44° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 56° – 64° |
| October | 60° | 35° | 1.4" | 0.8" | 7 | 39° – 54° |
| November | 45° | 26° | 1.3" | 4.9" | 8 | 27° – 42° |
| December | 33° | 18° | 1.9" | 14.1" | 10 | 20° – 31° |
| Year | 59° | 35° | 17.4" | 52.4" | 94 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 17° to 33°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Clifton’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 Clifton’s center.
- Snow: Preston, ID.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Preston, ID, 9 miles from the town’s center, 100 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 Clifton’s climate
What is the weather like in Clifton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 52 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 77% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Clifton in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 175 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 17°.
How much snow does Clifton get?
About 52 inches in a normal winter at Preston, ID, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Clifton?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 55°. About 34 days a year reach 90° (Preston, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Clifton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 133 frost-free days, at Preston, ID.
What growing zone is Clifton 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 Clifton?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Clifton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Clifton.
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.