Priest River Experimental Forest · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 4.0Precipitation in Coolin trails that of 83% of U.S. towns: 33 inches a year
January mornings start at about 21°. Winter and summer sit 62° apart. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 80% of U.S. towns. From June to August, highs of 72–82° make it easy to spend the day outdoors.
A year in Coolin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Coolin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Coolin’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Coolin feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 114 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first by September 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Priest Rvr Exp Stn, ID, 9 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Coolin’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −8°. 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 74 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Priest Rvr Exp Stn, ID, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 142 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Coolin
98% 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 Priest Rvr Exp Stn, ID.
Living with Coolin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
114 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 20 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Coolin from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (60%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Coolin and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Coolin yet.
Climates most like Coolin’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coolin, ID | 21° | 82° | 33" | 74" |
| Lewiston, NY | 19° | 81° | 34" | 72" |
| Zeeland, MI | 19° | 83° | 37" | 78" |
| Cleveland, OH | 23° | 82° | 38" | 64" |
| Michigan City, IN | 19° | 82° | 39" | 65" |
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 Coolin averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°).
A smaller shift than in 56% 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 Coolin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Coolin’s place among Idaho’s.
Coolin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Coolin’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Priest Rvr Exp Stn, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 21° | 4.0" | 21.8" | 16 | 31 | 20° – 32° |
| February | 37° | 21° | 2.7" | 11.3" | 12 | 27 | 20° – 35° |
| March | 46° | 26° | 3.4" | 5.4" | 14 | 21 | 31° – 43° |
| April | 56° | 31° | 2.5" | 0.3" | 13 | 2 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 66° | 39° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| June | 72° | 44° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| July | 82° | 48° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 70° |
| August | 82° | 47° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| September | 71° | 40° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 60° |
| October | 54° | 32° | 2.9" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 38° – 50° |
| November | 40° | 26° | 4.3" | 9.2" | 16 | 7 | 27° – 40° |
| December | 32° | 21° | 4.4" | 25.7" | 17 | 25 | 20° – 31° |
| Year | 56° | 33° | 32.7" | 73.9" | 142 | 114 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 35°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Coolin’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 Coolin’s center.
- Snow: Priest Rvr Exp Stn, ID.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Priest Rvr Exp Stn, ID, 9 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Coolin’s climate
What is the weather like in Coolin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 74 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Coolin in winter?
December nights average 21°. About 190 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Coolin get?
About 74 inches in a normal winter at Priest Rvr Exp Stn, ID, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 114 days a year.
How hot does it get in Coolin?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 48°. About 17 days a year reach 90° (Priest Rvr Exp Stn, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Coolin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by September 13, about 114 frost-free days, at Priest Rvr Exp Stn, ID.
What growing zone is Coolin in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Coolin?
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 Coolin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Coolin.
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.