Ponderay’s winters are milder but snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 62 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Ponderay at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ponderay’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ponderay’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Ponderay feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 141 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 8 and the first by September 28. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sandpoint Exp Stn, ID, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ponderay’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. 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 62 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Sandpoint Exp Stn, ID, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 31 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 134 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ponderay
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 Sandpoint Exp Stn, ID.
Living with Ponderay’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
141 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 8 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 28.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 2.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ponderay from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (81%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ponderay and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Ponderay in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Ponderay’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ponderay, ID | 23° | 83° | 31" | 62" |
| River Rouge, MI | 20° | 83° | 35" | 54" |
| Lewiston, NY | 19° | 81° | 34" | 72" |
| Cleveland, OH | 23° | 82° | 38" | 64" |
| Michigan City, IN | 19° | 82° | 39" | 65" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Ponderay averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°).
A smaller shift than in 67% 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 Ponderay compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ponderay’s place among Idaho’s.
Ponderay weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ponderay’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sandpoint Exp Stn, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 23° | 3.9" | 20.9" | 16 | 26 | 21° – 33° |
| February | 39° | 23° | 2.6" | 8.4" | 12 | 16 | 21° – 37° |
| March | 47° | 28° | 3.2" | 6.5" | 14 | 9 | 32° – 44° |
| April | 57° | 33° | 2.3" | 0.5" | 12 | 1 | 41° – 53° |
| May | 67° | 40° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 48° – 60° |
| June | 73° | 46° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| July | 83° | 50° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 72° |
| August | 83° | 49° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| September | 72° | 42° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| October | 56° | 34° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| November | 41° | 28° | 4.0" | 6.4" | 14 | 3 | 29° – 41° |
| December | 34° | 23° | 4.3" | 19.3" | 15 | 18 | 21° – 33° |
| Year | 57° | 35° | 31.0" | 62.0" | 134 | 72 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 21° to 37°. September is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Ponderay’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 Ponderay’s center.
- Snow: Sandpoint Exp Stn, ID (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sandpoint Exp Stn, ID, 1.4 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 Ponderay’s climate
What is the weather like in Ponderay?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 62 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ponderay in winter?
December nights average 23°. About 156 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 21°.
How much snow does Ponderay get?
About 62 inches in a normal winter at Sandpoint Exp Stn, ID, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 72 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ponderay?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 50°. About 14 days a year reach 90° (Sandpoint Exp Stn, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Ponderay?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 8 and the first fall frost by September 28, about 141 frost-free days, at Sandpoint Exp Stn, ID.
What growing zone is Ponderay in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ponderay?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ponderay getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ponderay.
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.