Photo: Ntsimp · Public domainMalad City is drier than 93% of U.S. towns: 15 inches of precipitation a year
January nights here settle around 14°. May is the wettest month, July the driest. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 87% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 22; in half of years the first frost comes by September 20.
A year in Malad City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Malad City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Malad City’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Malad City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 116 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by September 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Malad City, ID, 3 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Malad City’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 52 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Preston, ID, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 94 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Malad City
94% 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 Malad City, ID.
Living with Malad City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
116 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 22 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. 1.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Malad City from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Malad City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Malad City yet.
Climates most like Malad City’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Malad City, ID | 14° | 89° | 15" | 52" |
| Billings, MT | 15° | 89° | 14" | 48" |
| Fort Collins, CO | 16° | 89° | 15" | 49" |
| Chadron, NE | 14° | 89° | 18" | 50" |
| Douglas, WY | 12° | 88° | 13" | 59" |
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 Malad City averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.4°).
A bigger shift than in 53% 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 Malad City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Malad City’s place among Idaho’s.
Malad City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Malad City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Preston, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 14° | 1.7" | 13.5" | 10 | 16° – 32° |
| February | 38° | 18° | 1.3" | 10.8" | 10 | 21° – 37° |
| March | 49° | 26° | 1.2" | 5.1" | 9 | 32° – 44° |
| April | 58° | 32° | 1.4" | 3.0" | 10 | 40° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 39° | 2.0" | 0.2" | 10 | 47° – 58° |
| June | 78° | 46° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 56° – 69° |
| July | 89° | 52° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 60° – 76° |
| August | 87° | 51° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 77° | 42° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 56° – 63° |
| October | 62° | 32° | 1.3" | 0.8" | 7 | 38° – 53° |
| November | 46° | 24° | 1.0" | 4.9" | 8 | 26° – 42° |
| December | 34° | 16° | 1.5" | 14.1" | 10 | 19° – 31° |
| Year | 60° | 33° | 14.9" | 52.4" | 94 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 16° to 32°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Malad City’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 Malad City’s center.
- Snow: Preston, ID.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Malad City, ID, 3 miles from the town’s center, 120 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 Malad City’s climate
What is the weather like in Malad City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 52 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Malad City in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 185 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 16°.
How much snow does Malad City get?
About 52 inches in a normal winter at Preston, ID, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Malad City?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 52°. About 46 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Malad City, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Malad City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by September 20, about 116 frost-free days, at Malad City, ID.
What growing zone is Malad City in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Malad City?
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 Malad City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Malad City.
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.