Fort Boise and Riverside Ferry Sites · Photo: Sketch by William H. Tappan · Public domainParma’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Parma at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Parma’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Parma’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Parma feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 165 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 27 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Parma Exp Stn, ID, 1.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Parma’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 3°. 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 12 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Parma Exp Stn, ID, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 9 inches a year; May is the wettest month and August 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 Parma
88% 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 Parma Exp Stn, ID.
Living with Parma’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
165 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 27 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 9.
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 Parma from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (75%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Parma and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Parma yet.
Climates most like Parma’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parma, ID | 24° | 93° | 9" | 12" |
| Albuquerque, NM | 22° | 94° | 9" | 12" |
| Chino Valley, AZ | 27° | 92° | 11" | 10" |
| Sparks, NV | 25° | 92° | 8" | 6.8" |
| Fruitvale, CO | 19° | 94° | 10" | 13" |
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 Parma averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 55% 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 Parma compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Parma’s place among Idaho’s.
Parma weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Parma’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Parma Exp Stn, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39° | 24° | 1.2" | 3.3" | 10 | 18° – 37° |
| February | 47° | 27° | 0.7" | 1.8" | 7 | 28° – 44° |
| March | 58° | 32° | 0.9" | 0.4" | 9 | 41° – 49° |
| April | 66° | 37° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 46° – 56° |
| May | 75° | 45° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 55° – 65° |
| June | 83° | 52° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 63° – 76° |
| July | 93° | 59° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 66° – 81° |
| August | 92° | 56° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 2 | 68° – 77° |
| September | 81° | 47° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 3 | 60° – 68° |
| October | 67° | 36° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 44° – 58° |
| November | 50° | 28° | 0.9" | 1.2" | 9 | 32° – 45° |
| December | 39° | 23° | 1.2" | 4.8" | 9 | 22° – 37° |
| Year | 66° | 39° | 9.4" | 11.5" | 78 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 18° to 37°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Parma’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 Parma’s center.
- Snow: Parma Exp Stn, ID (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Parma Exp Stn, ID, 1.1 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 Parma’s climate
What is the weather like in Parma?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Parma in winter?
December nights average 23°. About 144 nights a year reach 32° or below and 1 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 22°.
How much snow does Parma get?
About 12 inches in a normal winter at Parma Exp Stn, ID, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Parma?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 59°. About 58 days a year reach 90° and 8 reach 100° (Parma Exp Stn, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Parma?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 27 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 165 frost-free days, at Parma Exp Stn, ID.
What growing zone is Parma in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Parma?
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 Parma getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Parma.
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.