City of Rocks · Photo: Levieuxchiendetalus · CC BY-SA 3.0Oakley sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 12 inches a year
High summer brings afternoon highs near 88°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 69° apart. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 65% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about May 15; in half of years the first frost comes by October 2.
A year in Oakley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Oakley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Oakley’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Oakley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 137 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 15 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Oakley, ID, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Oakley’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. 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 25 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Oakley, ID, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 72 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Oakley
92% 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 Oakley, ID.
Living with Oakley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
137 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 15 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Oakley from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Oakley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Oakley yet.
Climates most like Oakley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakley, ID | 19° | 88° | 12" | 25" |
| Eldorado at Santa Fe, NM | 19° | 87° | 13" | 20" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Security-Widefield, CO | 18° | 87° | 16" | 33" |
| Hamilton, MT | 20° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
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 Oakley averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°).
A smaller shift than in 52% 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 Oakley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Oakley’s place among Idaho’s.
Oakley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Oakley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Oakley, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 19° | 1.0" | 5.7" | 7 | 22° – 36° |
| February | 42° | 22° | 0.7" | 5.0" | 6 | 26° – 39° |
| March | 52° | 28° | 1.1" | 4.2" | 7 | 35° – 46° |
| April | 59° | 32° | 1.4" | 2.0" | 8 | 40° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 40° | 1.9" | 0.2" | 10 | 47° – 60° |
| June | 77° | 47° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 57° – 69° |
| July | 88° | 54° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 61° – 76° |
| August | 86° | 53° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 64° – 74° |
| September | 77° | 44° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 57° – 63° |
| October | 63° | 33° | 0.9" | 0.6" | 5 | 41° – 54° |
| November | 48° | 25° | 0.8" | 2.2" | 6 | 28° – 44° |
| December | 38° | 18° | 1.0" | 5.2" | 6 | 22° – 33° |
| Year | 61° | 35° | 11.8" | 25.1" | 72 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 28° to 44°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Oakley’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 Oakley’s center.
- Snow: Oakley, ID (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Oakley, ID, 0.9 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 Oakley’s climate
What is the weather like in Oakley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 25 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 65% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Oakley in winter?
December nights average 18°. About 143 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Oakley get?
About 25 inches in a normal winter at Oakley, ID, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Oakley?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 54°. About 20 days a year reach 90° (Oakley, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Oakley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 15 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 137 frost-free days, at Oakley, ID.
What growing zone is Oakley in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Oakley?
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 Oakley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Oakley.
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.