Ferdinand has cooler summers than 93% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 22°. Seasons differ by 59°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 88% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Ferdinand at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ferdinand’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ferdinand’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Ferdinand feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 156 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 6 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cottonwood 2 Wsw, ID, 8 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ferdinand’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. 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 29 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Nezperce, ID, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 23 inches a year; May is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 107 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ferdinand
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 Cottonwood 2 Wsw, ID.
Living with Ferdinand’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
156 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 6 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 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ferdinand from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ferdinand and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ferdinand yet.
Climates most like Ferdinand’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferdinand, ID | 22° | 80° | 23" | 29" |
| Ruidoso, NM | 22° | 82° | 20" | 26" |
| Polson, MT | 20° | 83° | 19" | 34" |
| Big Bear Lake, CA | 25° | 80° | 24" | 59" |
| New Baltimore, MI | 19° | 82° | 34" | 32" |
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 Ferdinand averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
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 Ferdinand compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ferdinand’s place among Idaho’s.
Ferdinand weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ferdinand’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Nezperce, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 22° | 2.0" | 7.4" | 10 | 13 | 21° – 35° |
| February | 40° | 23° | 1.7" | 5.6" | 9 | 8 | 23° – 39° |
| March | 46° | 27° | 2.2" | 3.6" | 12 | 3 | 31° – 43° |
| April | 53° | 32° | 2.6" | 1.0" | 12 | 0 | 37° – 49° |
| May | 62° | 39° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| June | 68° | 45° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| July | 80° | 50° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 55° – 71° |
| August | 80° | 49° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| September | 71° | 43° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| October | 56° | 35° | 1.8" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 52° |
| November | 42° | 27° | 2.4" | 2.8" | 11 | 3 | 28° – 41° |
| December | 35° | 22° | 2.2" | 8.4" | 10 | 12 | 21° – 32° |
| Year | 56° | 34° | 23.1" | 28.9" | 107 | 40 |
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 39°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Ferdinand’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 Ferdinand’s center.
- Snow: Nezperce, ID.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cottonwood 2 Wsw, ID, 8 miles from the town’s center, 170 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 Ferdinand’s climate
What is the weather like in Ferdinand?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 29 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 52% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 93% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ferdinand in winter?
December nights average 22°. About 134 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Ferdinand get?
About 29 inches in a normal winter at Nezperce, ID, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 40 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ferdinand?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 50°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Cottonwood 2 Wsw, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Ferdinand?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 6 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 156 frost-free days, at Cottonwood 2 Wsw, ID.
What growing zone is Ferdinand in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ferdinand?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ferdinand 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 Ferdinand.
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.