Photo: Dsdugan · Public domainDry weather: only 25 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Orofino, less than in 87% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 27° on average. Seasons differ by 63°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Its July heat outdoes that of 72% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside for May, June and September, when highs sit at 72–79°.
A year in Orofino at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Orofino’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Orofino’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Orofino feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 182 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 20 and the first by October 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Dworshak Fish Hatchery, ID, 3 miles from the town’s center, 240 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Orofino’s center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 8°. 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 18 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Dworshak Fish Hatchery, ID, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 25 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 140 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Orofino
90% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Dworshak Fish Hatchery, ID.
Living with Orofino’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
182 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 20 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Orofino from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Orofino and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Orofino yet.
Climates most like Orofino’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orofino, ID | 27° | 89° | 25" | 18" |
| Yreka, CA | 29° | 91° | 20" | 12" |
| South Ogden, UT | 21° | 91° | 22" | 23" |
| Payson, AZ | 30° | 92° | 20" | 19" |
| Amarillo, TX | 24° | 92° | 19" | 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 Orofino averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.0°).
A smaller shift than in 94% 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 Orofino compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Orofino’s place among Idaho’s.
Orofino weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Orofino’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Dworshak Fish Hatchery, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 27° | 2.8" | 6.3" | 17 | 6 | 25° – 38° |
| February | 45° | 28° | 2.3" | 1.7" | 14 | 2 | 29° – 43° |
| March | 54° | 32° | 2.6" | 0.7" | 15 | 0 | 38° – 50° |
| April | 62° | 37° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 44° – 56° |
| May | 72° | 43° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| June | 78° | 49° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| July | 89° | 53° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 63° – 76° |
| August | 89° | 52° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| September | 79° | 45° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| October | 62° | 37° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 43° – 56° |
| November | 47° | 31° | 2.9" | 0.7" | 16 | 1 | 34° – 45° |
| December | 38° | 26° | 3.0" | 8.1" | 16 | 5 | 26° – 36° |
| Year | 63° | 38° | 25.1" | 17.5" | 140 | 13 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 29° to 43°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Orofino’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 Orofino’s center.
- Snow: Dworshak Fish Hatchery, ID.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Dworshak Fish Hatchery, ID, 3 miles from the town’s center, 240 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 Orofino’s climate
What is the weather like in Orofino?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 27°, and about 18 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Orofino in winter?
December nights average 26°. About 101 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 26°.
How much snow does Orofino get?
About 18 inches in a normal winter at Dworshak Fish Hatchery, ID, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 13 days a year.
How hot does it get in Orofino?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 53°. About 47 days a year reach 90° and 8 reach 100° (Dworshak Fish Hatchery, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Orofino?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 20 and the first fall frost by October 20, about 182 frost-free days, at Dworshak Fish Hatchery, ID.
What growing zone is Orofino in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 8°.
What is the best time of year to visit Orofino?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Orofino getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 94% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Orofino.
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.