St. James' Episcopal Mission Church · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 4.0Few U.S. towns get less rain and snow than Dubois: 11 inches a year
January mornings start at about 11°. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 75°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 93% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 18; in half of years the first frost comes by September 30.
A year in Dubois at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dubois’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dubois’ place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Dubois feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 132 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 18 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Dubois Exp Stn, ID, 5 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dubois’ center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −14°. 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 47 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Dubois Exp Stn, ID, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 11 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 89 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Dubois
95% 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 Dubois Exp Stn, ID.
Living with Dubois’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
132 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 18 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September. 2.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dubois from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (35%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dubois and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Dubois yet.
Climates most like Dubois’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubois, ID | 11° | 86° | 11" | 47" |
| Gypsum, CO | 11° | 86° | 14" | 39" |
| Green River, WY | 9° | 87° | 9" | 39" |
| Helena Valley West Central, MT | 15° | 85° | 11" | 37" |
| Taos, NM | 11° | 84° | 13" | 28" |
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 Dubois averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.6°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Dubois compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dubois’ place among Idaho’s.
Dubois weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dubois’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Dubois Exp Stn, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 11° | 0.8" | 10.1" | 8 | 30 | 13° – 27° |
| February | 33° | 13° | 0.6" | 7.6" | 7 | 27 | 15° – 32° |
| March | 44° | 23° | 0.7" | 4.5" | 7 | 21 | 24° – 41° |
| April | 56° | 30° | 1.1" | 3.2" | 9 | 2 | 35° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 38° | 1.8" | 0.5" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| June | 75° | 45° | 1.6" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 54° – 67° |
| July | 86° | 51° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 76° |
| August | 84° | 49° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| September | 73° | 41° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| October | 57° | 30° | 0.9" | 1.4" | 7 | 1 | 34° – 50° |
| November | 41° | 20° | 0.6" | 6.2" | 6 | 7 | 22° – 38° |
| December | 29° | 11° | 0.8" | 13.7" | 10 | 24 | 13° – 26° |
| Year | 56° | 30° | 11.0" | 47.3" | 89 | 112 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. July swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 58° to 76°. September is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Dubois’ 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 Dubois’ center.
- Snow: Dubois Exp Stn, ID.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Dubois Exp Stn, ID, 5 miles from the town’s center, 300 ft higher; 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 Dubois’ climate
What is the weather like in Dubois?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 47 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dubois in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 178 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 13°.
How much snow does Dubois get?
About 47 inches in a normal winter at Dubois Exp Stn, ID, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 112 days a year.
How hot does it get in Dubois?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 51°. About 20 days a year reach 90° (Dubois Exp Stn, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Dubois?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 18 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 132 frost-free days, at Dubois Exp Stn, ID.
What growing zone is Dubois in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Dubois?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Dubois getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dubois.
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.