Fort Hall · Photo: National Park Service photographer · Public domainFort Hall is among the driest of U.S. towns: 11 inches of precipitation a year
Sunny July days climb to about 88°. May is the wettest month here, with about 3.4 times the rain of July. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 78% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Fort Hall at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fort Hall’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fort Hall’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Fort Hall feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 119 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first by September 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ft Hall 1 Nne, ID, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fort Hall’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 28 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ft Hall 1 Nne, ID, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 11 inches a year; May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 88 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fort Hall
96% 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 Ft Hall 1 Nne, ID.
Living with Fort Hall’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
119 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 18 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 38% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fort Hall from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fort Hall and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fort Hall yet.
Climates most like Fort Hall’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Hall, ID | 17° | 88° | 11" | 28" |
| Gallup, NM | 17° | 88° | 10" | 34" |
| Wellington, CO | 16° | 88° | 14" | 34" |
| Lockwood, MT | 15° | 88° | 15" | 35" |
| Spring Creek, NV | 15° | 89° | 14" | 41" |
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 Fort Hall averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 Fort Hall compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fort Hall’s place among Idaho’s.
Fort Hall weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fort Hall’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ft Hall 1 Nne, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 17° | 1.0" | 6.4" | 10 | 20 | 15° – 33° |
| February | 38° | 19° | 0.8" | 5.7" | 8 | 15 | 19° – 37° |
| March | 50° | 28° | 1.1" | 3.0" | 8 | 4 | 33° – 44° |
| April | 59° | 32° | 1.1" | 1.3" | 9 | 1 | 40° – 51° |
| May | 68° | 40° | 1.5" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| June | 77° | 47° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| July | 88° | 53° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 75° |
| August | 87° | 51° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 76° | 43° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| October | 61° | 33° | 1.0" | 0.9" | 7 | 1 | 38° – 53° |
| November | 45° | 24° | 0.8" | 3.0" | 8 | 5 | 25° – 41° |
| December | 33° | 17° | 1.0" | 7.5" | 11 | 19 | 19° – 31° |
| Year | 59° | 34° | 11.2" | 28.1" | 88 | 64 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 15° to 33°. September is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Fort Hall’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 Fort Hall’s center.
- Snow: Ft Hall 1 Nne, ID.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ft Hall 1 Nne, ID, 2.9 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 Fort Hall’s climate
What is the weather like in Fort Hall?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 67% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fort Hall in winter?
January nights average 17°. About 186 nights a year reach 32° or below and 12 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Fort Hall get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter at Ft Hall 1 Nne, ID, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 64 days a year.
How hot does it get in Fort Hall?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 53°. About 26 days a year reach 90° (Ft Hall 1 Nne, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Fort Hall?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by September 20, about 119 frost-free days, at Ft Hall 1 Nne, ID.
What growing zone is Fort Hall in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fort Hall?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Fort Hall getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fort Hall.
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.