Gold Point Mill · Photo: Evan4211 · CC BY-SA 3.0Elk City gets about 119 inches of snow a winter, more than all but 143 U.S. towns
July afternoons average 84°. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 87% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.4° higher. Central heating does most of its work from October to May, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Elk City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elk City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elk City’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Elk City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze is possible in every month
About 242 nights a year fall to 32° or below, and 15 to 0° or below. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Elk City 1ne, ID, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elk City’s center in zone 5b: 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 119 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Elk City 1ne, ID, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 27 inches a year; June is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 154 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Elk City
99% 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 Elk City 1ne, ID.
Living with Elk City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 5b, and frost can come in any month. The longest frost-free stretch in half of years is about 64 days.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 1.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elk City from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (68%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elk City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Elk City yet.
Climates most like Elk City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elk City, ID | 17° | 84° | 27" | 119" |
| Monument, CO | 14° | 83° | 22" | 121" |
| Park City, UT | 18° | 81° | 23" | 153" |
| East Rochester, NY | 18° | 81° | 35" | 102" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
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 Elk City averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Elk City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elk City’s place among Idaho’s.
Elk City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elk City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Elk City 1ne, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 17° | 2.6" | 29.2" | 17 | 20° – 33° |
| February | 41° | 19° | 2.1" | 14.0" | 13 | 25° – 35° |
| March | 48° | 23° | 2.6" | 19.0" | 15 | 30° – 42° |
| April | 55° | 28° | 2.7" | 10.2" | 16 | 36° – 48° |
| May | 65° | 35° | 2.8" | 1.1" | 15 | 44° – 54° |
| June | 72° | 41° | 3.0" | 0.1" | 16 | 53° – 64° |
| July | 84° | 45° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 56° – 70° |
| August | 84° | 42° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 59° – 65° |
| September | 73° | 36° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 51° – 60° |
| October | 58° | 30° | 2.2" | 1.9" | 12 | 37° – 50° |
| November | 43° | 23° | 2.8" | 17.3" | 15 | 27° – 39° |
| December | 34° | 17° | 2.5" | 26.4" | 15 | 19° – 31° |
| Year | 58° | 30° | 26.8" | 119.2" | 154 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. July swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 56° to 70°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Elk City’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 Elk City’s center.
- Snow: Elk City 1ne, ID (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Elk City 1ne, ID, 1.4 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 Elk City’s climate
What is the weather like in Elk City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 119 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elk City in winter?
December nights average 17°. About 242 nights a year reach 32° or below and 15 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Elk City get?
About 119 inches in a normal winter at Elk City 1ne, ID, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Elk City?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 45°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Elk City 1ne, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Elk City?
There is no reliable frost-free season: at Elk City 1ne, ID, every month has nights at 32° or below, about 242 a year. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 64 days.
What growing zone is Elk City in?
Zone 5b 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 Elk City?
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 Elk City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elk City.
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.