Lincoln’s winters are colder than most of the U.S.; July afternoons average 86°
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 13°.
A year in Lincoln at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lincoln’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lincoln’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Lincoln feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 114 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 23 and the first by September 20. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Idaho Falls - Kifi, ID, 2.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Idaho Falls Fanning Fld, ID, 5 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lincoln’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. 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 12 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and July the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Lincoln
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 Idaho Falls Fanning Fld, ID.
Living with Lincoln’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
114 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 23 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lincoln from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 33%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lincoln and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lincoln 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 Lincoln averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.9°).
A bigger shift than in 63% 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 Lincoln compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lincoln’s place among Idaho’s.
Lincoln weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lincoln’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 29° | 13° | 0.9" | 14° – 29° |
| February | 35° | 16° | 0.7" | 16° – 36° |
| March | 47° | 25° | 1.0" | 27° – 42° |
| April | 57° | 31° | 1.2" | 39° – 49° |
| May | 67° | 39° | 1.8" | 47° – 58° |
| June | 76° | 46° | 1.2" | 55° – 67° |
| July | 86° | 51° | 0.6" | 59° – 74° |
| August | 84° | 50° | 0.7" | 61° – 70° |
| September | 74° | 42° | 1.0" | 54° – 62° |
| October | 59° | 32° | 1.0" | 37° – 52° |
| November | 43° | 22° | 0.8" | 24° – 40° |
| December | 30° | 14° | 0.9" | 16° – 29° |
| Year | 57° | 32° | 11.8" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 16° to 36°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Lincoln’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 Lincoln’s center.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Idaho Falls Fanning Fld, ID, 5 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Idaho Falls - Kifi, ID, 2.2 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 Lincoln’s climate
What is the weather like in Lincoln?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 13°. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lincoln in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 166 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How hot does it get in Lincoln?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 51°. About 28 days a year reach 90° (Idaho Falls Fanning Fld, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Lincoln?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 23 and the first fall frost by September 20, about 114 frost-free days, at Idaho Falls Fanning Fld, ID.
What growing zone is Lincoln in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lincoln?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lincoln getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 63% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lincoln.
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.