Photo: rustejunk · CC BY 2.0Kamiah reaches 100° on about 11 days a year, more than 91% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 27°. April is the wettest month, August the driest. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 88% of U.S. towns. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Kamiah at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kamiah’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kamiah’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Kamiah feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 163 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 29 and the first by October 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Kamiah, ID, 0.3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kamiah’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 5°. 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 11 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Kamiah, ID, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 23 inches a year; April 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 Kamiah
91% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Kamiah, ID.
Living with Kamiah’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
163 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 29 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kamiah from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (63%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Kamiah and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Kamiah yet.
Climates most like Kamiah’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kamiah, ID | 27° | 93° | 23" | 11" |
| Pampa, TX | 24° | 93° | 22" | 16" |
| Yreka, CA | 29° | 91° | 20" | 12" |
| Payson, AZ | 30° | 92° | 20" | 19" |
| Elk City, OK | 26° | 95° | 27" | 8.6" |
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 Kamiah averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 70% 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 Kamiah compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kamiah’s place among Idaho’s.
Kamiah weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Kamiah’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Kamiah, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 27° | 2.2" | 2.7" | 12 | 5 | 26° – 39° |
| February | 47° | 29° | 1.9" | 2.0" | 11 | 1 | 30° – 45° |
| March | 57° | 34° | 2.4" | 0.5" | 12 | 1 | 40° – 52° |
| April | 66° | 39° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| May | 75° | 45° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| June | 82° | 51° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 74° |
| July | 93° | 56° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 65° – 80° |
| August | 93° | 55° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 69° – 76° |
| September | 82° | 48° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| October | 64° | 38° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| November | 48° | 32° | 2.5" | 0.4" | 12 | 0 | 34° – 46° |
| December | 39° | 27° | 2.2" | 5.7" | 12 | 3 | 27° – 37° |
| Year | 65° | 40° | 22.8" | 11.3" | 115 | 11 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. July swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 65° to 80°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Kamiah’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 Kamiah’s center.
- Snow: Kamiah, ID (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kamiah, ID, 0.3 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 Kamiah’s climate
What is the weather like in Kamiah?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kamiah in winter?
December nights average 27°. About 120 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 27°.
How much snow does Kamiah get?
About 11 inches in a normal winter at Kamiah, ID, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 11 days a year.
How hot does it get in Kamiah?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 56°. About 56 days a year reach 90° and 11 reach 100° (Kamiah, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Kamiah?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 29 and the first fall frost by October 5, about 163 frost-free days, at Kamiah, ID.
What growing zone is Kamiah in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Kamiah?
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 Kamiah getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 70% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Kamiah.
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.