Afternoon heat in Hope trails that of 94% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 24°. Only 56° separates winter nights from summer afternoons. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 84% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Hope at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hope’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hope’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Hope feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 141 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from Sandpoint Exp Stn, ID, 12 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hope’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. 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 62 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Sandpoint Exp Stn, ID, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 32 inches a year; November is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 134 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Hope
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 Sandpoint Exp Stn, ID.
Living with Hope’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
141 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 8 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hope from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hope and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hope yet.
Climates most like Hope’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hope, ID | 24° | 79° | 32" | 62" |
| Porter, NY | 21° | 79° | 33" | 55" |
| Big Bear Lake, CA | 25° | 80° | 24" | 59" |
| Sheffield Lake, OH | 22° | 81° | 38" | 64" |
| Ludington, MI | 18° | 78° | 34" | 79" |
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 Hope averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.0°).
A smaller shift than in 61% 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 Hope compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hope’s place among Idaho’s.
Hope weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hope’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sandpoint Exp Stn, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 24° | 3.8" | 20.9" | 16 | 26 | 21° – 33° |
| February | 37° | 24° | 2.5" | 8.4" | 12 | 16 | 20° – 37° |
| March | 45° | 28° | 3.0" | 6.5" | 14 | 9 | 31° – 43° |
| April | 53° | 33° | 2.5" | 0.5" | 12 | 1 | 38° – 51° |
| May | 64° | 40° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| June | 69° | 46° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| July | 79° | 51° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 56° – 71° |
| August | 79° | 50° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| September | 69° | 43° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| October | 53° | 35° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 38° – 50° |
| November | 39° | 29° | 4.1" | 6.4" | 14 | 3 | 28° – 40° |
| December | 32° | 24° | 3.9" | 19.3" | 15 | 18 | 21° – 32° |
| Year | 54° | 36° | 31.6" | 62.0" | 134 | 72 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 37°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Hope’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 Hope’s center.
- Snow: Sandpoint Exp Stn, ID.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sandpoint Exp Stn, ID, 12 miles from the town’s center, 980 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Hope’s climate
What is the weather like in Hope?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 62 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 94% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hope in winter?
December nights average 24°. About 156 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Hope get?
About 62 inches in a normal winter at Sandpoint Exp Stn, ID, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 72 days a year.
How hot does it get in Hope?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 51°. About 14 days a year reach 90° (Sandpoint Exp Stn, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Hope?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 8 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 141 frost-free days, at Sandpoint Exp Stn, ID.
What growing zone is Hope in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hope?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Hope getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hope.
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.