Lemhi Pass · Photo: United States Forest Service · Public domainLeadore is among the driest of U.S. towns: 9 inches of precipitation a year
Deep winter brings January lows near 9°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 95% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.3°, most of all in January. The heating season runs October to May: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Leadore at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Leadore’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Leadore’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Leadore 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 240 nights a year fall to 32° or below, and 36 to 0° or below. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Leadore #2, ID, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Leadore’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −19°. 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 9 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and February the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Leadore
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September 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 Leadore #2, ID.
Living with Leadore’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 5a, and frost can come in any month. The longest frost-free stretch in half of years is about 50 days.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Leadore from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (74%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Leadore and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Leadore yet.
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 Leadore averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
A smaller shift than in 54% 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 Leadore compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Leadore’s place among Idaho’s.
Leadore weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Leadore’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 9° | 0.4" | 13° – 25° |
| February | 34° | 12° | 0.3" | 17° – 31° |
| March | 43° | 21° | 0.5" | 25° – 38° |
| April | 51° | 27° | 0.8" | 33° – 44° |
| May | 62° | 34° | 1.4" | 41° – 54° |
| June | 71° | 40° | 1.6" | 51° – 62° |
| July | 82° | 46° | 0.8" | 54° – 70° |
| August | 81° | 44° | 0.7" | 56° – 66° |
| September | 70° | 37° | 0.9" | 50° – 58° |
| October | 55° | 28° | 0.8" | 33° – 48° |
| November | 40° | 19° | 0.4" | 20° – 37° |
| December | 29° | 9° | 0.4" | 14° – 24° |
| Year | 54° | 27° | 8.9" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 20° to 37°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Leadore’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 Leadore’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Leadore #2, ID, 0.2 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 Leadore’s climate
What is the weather like in Leadore?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 9°. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Leadore in winter?
January nights average 9°. About 240 nights a year reach 32° or below and 36 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How hot does it get in Leadore?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 46°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Leadore #2, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Leadore?
There is no reliable frost-free season: at Leadore #2, ID, every month has nights at 32° or below, about 240 a year. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 50 days.
What growing zone is Leadore in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Leadore?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Leadore getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Leadore.
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.