State Bank of Kooskia · Photo: JERRYE AND ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0Kooskia reaches 100° on about 11 days a year, more than 91% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 27°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 88% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.2° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 29, with the first autumn frost due around October 5.
A year in Kooskia at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Kooskia’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Kooskia’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Kooskia 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, 7 miles from the town’s center, 330 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Kooskia’s center in zone 7b: 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 11 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Kamiah, ID, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 24 inches a year; May 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 Kooskia
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 Kooskia’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. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Kooskia 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 →Kooskia and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Kooskia yet.
Climates most like Kooskia’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kooskia, ID | 27° | 92° | 24" | 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 Kooskia averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
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 Kooskia compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Kooskia’s place among Idaho’s.
Kooskia weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Kooskia’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 | 39° | 27° | 1.9" | 2.7" | 12 | 5 | 26° – 38° |
| February | 46° | 28° | 1.6" | 2.0" | 11 | 1 | 29° – 44° |
| March | 56° | 33° | 2.8" | 0.5" | 12 | 1 | 39° – 51° |
| April | 65° | 38° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| May | 74° | 44° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| June | 81° | 50° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 73° |
| July | 92° | 55° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 64° – 79° |
| August | 92° | 53° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| September | 81° | 46° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| October | 64° | 37° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 57° |
| November | 48° | 31° | 2.8" | 0.4" | 12 | 0 | 33° – 45° |
| December | 38° | 26° | 2.1" | 5.7" | 12 | 3 | 26° – 36° |
| Year | 65° | 39° | 24.2" | 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 64° to 79°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Kooskia’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 Kooskia’s center.
- Snow: Kamiah, ID.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kamiah, ID, 7 miles from the town’s center, 330 ft lower; 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 Kooskia’s climate
What is the weather like in Kooskia?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 11 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 67% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 87% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Kooskia in winter?
December nights average 26°. About 120 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Kooskia 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 Kooskia?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 55°. About 56 days a year reach 90° and 11 reach 100° (Kamiah, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Kooskia?
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 Kooskia in?
Zone 7b 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 Kooskia?
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 Kooskia 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 Kooskia.
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.