Precipitation in Parker trails that of 94% of U.S. towns: 13 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 11°. In January, nights here are colder than in 93% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.3°, most of all in March. Central heating does most of its work from October to April, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Parker at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Parker’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Parker’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Parker feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 126 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by September 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Saint Anthony, ID, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Parker’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 70 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ashton 1n, ID, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; May is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 78 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Parker
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 Saint Anthony, ID.
Living with Parker’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
126 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 17 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September. 0.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Parker from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (33%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 24%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Parker and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Parker yet.
Climates most like Parker’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parker, ID | 11° | 85° | 13" | 70" |
| Great Falls, MT | 13° | 84° | 13" | 66" |
| Durango, CO | 12° | 86° | 18" | 64" |
| Gillette, WY | 13° | 86° | 16" | 56" |
| Heber, UT | 12° | 88° | 15" | 75" |
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 Parker averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.8°).
A smaller 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 Parker compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Parker’s place among Idaho’s.
Parker weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Parker’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ashton 1n, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28° | 11° | 1.3" | 19.8" | 9 | 31 | 12° – 27° |
| February | 34° | 14° | 0.8" | 10.7" | 7 | 29 | 15° – 33° |
| March | 45° | 23° | 0.9" | 5.3" | 7 | 25 | 26° – 42° |
| April | 56° | 30° | 1.2" | 2.0" | 7 | 4 | 36° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 38° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| June | 75° | 44° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| July | 85° | 50° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 58° – 74° |
| August | 84° | 48° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| September | 74° | 40° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| October | 58° | 31° | 1.1" | 1.6" | 5 | 1 | 36° – 51° |
| November | 41° | 21° | 1.1" | 10.5" | 7 | 10 | 22° – 39° |
| December | 29° | 12° | 1.3" | 20.2" | 10 | 26 | 14° – 27° |
| Year | 56° | 30° | 13.4" | 70.1" | 78 | 125 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 15° to 33°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Parker’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 Parker’s center.
- Snow: Ashton 1n, ID.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Saint Anthony, ID, 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 Parker’s climate
What is the weather like in Parker?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 11°, and about 70 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 93% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Parker in winter?
January nights average 11°. About 206 nights a year reach 32° or below and 22 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Parker get?
About 70 inches in a normal winter at Ashton 1n, ID, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 125 days a year.
How hot does it get in Parker?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 50°. About 10 days a year reach 90° (Saint Anthony, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Parker?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by September 22, about 126 frost-free days, at Saint Anthony, ID.
What growing zone is Parker in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Parker?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Parker getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Parker.
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.