Inland Empire Electric Railway Substation · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 3.0Dry weather: only 26 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Coeur d'Alene, less than in 87% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 26°. Only 58° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 68% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Coeur d'Alene at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Coeur d'Alene’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Coeur d'Alene’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Coeur d'Alene feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 179 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Coeur D'alene, ID, 1.4 miles from the city’s center point, 100 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Coeur d'Alene’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 27 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bayview Model Basin, 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 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Coeur d'Alene
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 Coeur D'alene, ID.
Living with Coeur d'Alene’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
179 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 22 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 25 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Coeur d'Alene from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 26%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Coeur d'Alene and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Coeur d'Alene in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Coeur d'Alene’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coeur d'Alene, ID | 26° | 83° | 26" | 27" |
| Ruidoso, NM | 22° | 82° | 20" | 26" |
| Hood River, OR | 32° | 85° | 23" | 17" |
| Oregon, OH | 21° | 85° | 33" | 37" |
| Lake Arrowhead, CA | 33° | 83° | 33" | 22" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Coeur d'Alene averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.8°).
A bigger shift than in 62% 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 Coeur d'Alene compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Coeur d'Alene’s place among Idaho’s.
Coeur d'Alene weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Coeur d'Alene’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bayview Model Basin, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 26° | 3.3" | 8.7" | 13 | 25° – 36° |
| February | 41° | 26° | 2.1" | 3.2" | 10 | 23° – 40° |
| March | 49° | 30° | 2.6" | 1.8" | 12 | 34° – 47° |
| April | 57° | 35° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 41° – 54° |
| May | 67° | 42° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 50° – 60° |
| June | 73° | 48° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 56° – 70° |
| July | 83° | 53° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 57° – 73° |
| August | 83° | 52° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 62° – 71° |
| September | 73° | 44° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 54° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 36° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 41° – 53° |
| November | 43° | 30° | 3.3" | 1.4" | 13 | 31° – 43° |
| December | 36° | 25° | 3.5" | 12.1" | 14 | 24° – 35° |
| Year | 58° | 37° | 25.6" | 27.2" | 116 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 40°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Coeur d'Alene’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 Coeur d'Alene’s center.
- Snow: Bayview Model Basin, ID.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Coeur D'alene, ID, 1.4 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Coeur d'Alene’s climate
What is the weather like in Coeur d'Alene?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Coeur d'Alene in winter?
December nights average 25°. About 120 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Coeur d'Alene get?
About 27 inches in a normal winter at Bayview Model Basin, ID, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Coeur d'Alene?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 53°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Coeur D'alene, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Coeur d'Alene?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 179 frost-free days, at Coeur D'alene, ID.
What growing zone is Coeur d'Alene in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Coeur d'Alene?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Coeur d'Alene getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Coeur d'Alene.
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.