Photo: Original uploader was Kimberlyeron at en.wikipedia · CC BY 2.5Precipitation in New Meadows trails that of 88% of U.S. towns: 24 inches a year
High summer brings afternoon highs near 86°. In January, nights here are colder than in 84% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.4° above 1901–2000. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in New Meadows at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about New Meadows’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with New Meadows’ place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in New Meadows 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 237 nights a year fall to 32° or below, and 26 to 0° or below. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at New Meadows Rs, ID, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts New Meadows’ center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −14°. 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 24 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and July the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in New Meadows
99% 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 New Meadows Rs, ID.
Living with New Meadows’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 5b, and frost can come in any month. The longest frost-free stretch in half of years is about 62 days.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in New Meadows from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →New Meadows and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around New Meadows 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 New Meadows averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.8°).
A bigger 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 New Meadows compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with New Meadows’ place among Idaho’s.
New Meadows weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at New Meadows’ center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 15° | 3.0" | 18° – 30° |
| February | 39° | 17° | 2.3" | 24° – 35° |
| March | 48° | 25° | 2.6" | 31° – 44° |
| April | 56° | 30° | 2.2" | 37° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 37° | 2.2" | 45° – 56° |
| June | 74° | 42° | 1.9" | 55° – 66° |
| July | 86° | 48° | 0.5" | 57° – 73° |
| August | 85° | 46° | 0.5" | 60° – 69° |
| September | 75° | 39° | 0.9" | 53° – 61° |
| October | 60° | 30° | 1.7" | 38° – 51° |
| November | 43° | 23° | 2.6" | 26° – 40° |
| December | 33° | 16° | 3.9" | 17° – 31° |
| Year | 58° | 31° | 24.3" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. July swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 57° to 73°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where New Meadows’ 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 New Meadows’ center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: New Meadows Rs, ID, 0.4 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 New Meadows’ climate
What is the weather like in New Meadows?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 15°. Colder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in New Meadows in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 237 nights a year reach 32° or below and 26 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How hot does it get in New Meadows?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 48°. About 22 days a year reach 90° (New Meadows Rs, ID).
When is the first and last frost in New Meadows?
There is no reliable frost-free season: at New Meadows Rs, ID, every month has nights at 32° or below, about 237 a year. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 62 days.
What growing zone is New Meadows in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −14°.
What is the best time of year to visit New Meadows?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is New Meadows getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in New Meadows.
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.