Photo: Nils Peterson · CC BY-SA 3.0Dry weather: only 31 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Genesee, less than in 85% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 83° on average. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 66% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.3° rise. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Genesee at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Genesee’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Genesee’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Genesee 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 139 nights a year fall to 32° or below, and 2 to 0° or below. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Moscow U Of I, ID, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Genesee’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. 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 33 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Pullman 2 Nw, WA, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 115 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Genesee
97% 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 Moscow U Of I, ID.
Living with Genesee’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 7a, and frost can come in any month. The longest frost-free stretch in half of years is about 85 days.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Genesee from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (72%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Genesee and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Genesee yet.
Climates most like Genesee’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genesee, ID | 26° | 83° | 31" | 33" |
| Oregon, OH | 21° | 85° | 33" | 37" |
| Monroe, MI | 21° | 83° | 34" | 41" |
| Lake Arrowhead, CA | 33° | 83° | 33" | 22" |
| North Dansville, NY | 17° | 82° | 33" | 36" |
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 Genesee averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A smaller shift than in 53% 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 Genesee compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Genesee’s place among Idaho’s.
Genesee weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Genesee’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Pullman 2 Nw, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 26° | 4.0" | 9.6" | 14 | 22° – 38° |
| February | 42° | 28° | 3.4" | 4.8" | 12 | 25° – 42° |
| March | 49° | 31° | 3.2" | 2.5" | 12 | 33° – 46° |
| April | 57° | 36° | 2.7" | 0.7" | 11 | 41° – 52° |
| May | 66° | 42° | 2.5" | 0.1" | 10 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 72° | 47° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 56° – 67° |
| July | 83° | 53° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 60° – 73° |
| August | 84° | 53° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 75° | 47° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 57° – 65° |
| October | 59° | 38° | 2.3" | 0.1" | 9 | 43° – 56° |
| November | 45° | 31° | 4.0" | 4.6" | 14 | 30° – 44° |
| December | 37° | 26° | 4.5" | 10.3" | 14 | 25° – 36° |
| Year | 59° | 38° | 30.5" | 32.7" | 115 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 25° to 42°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Genesee’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 Genesee’s center.
- Snow: Pullman 2 Nw, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Moscow U Of I, ID, 12 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 Genesee’s climate
What is the weather like in Genesee?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 26°, and about 33 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Genesee in winter?
December nights average 26°. About 139 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Genesee get?
About 33 inches in a normal winter at Pullman 2 Nw, WA, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Genesee?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 53°. About 23 days a year reach 90° (Moscow U Of I, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Genesee?
There is no reliable frost-free season: at Moscow U Of I, ID, every month has nights at 32° or below, about 139 a year. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 85 days.
What growing zone is Genesee in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Genesee?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Genesee getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Genesee.
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.