Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 4.0Priest River’s winters are milder but snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 74 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Priest River at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Priest River’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Priest River’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Priest River feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 130 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by September 21. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Newport, WA, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Priest River’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 74 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Priest Rvr Exp Stn, ID, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 29 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 142 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Priest River
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 Newport, WA.
Living with Priest River’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
130 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 12 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 3.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Priest River from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Priest River and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Priest River yet.
Climates most like Priest River’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Priest River, ID | 22° | 83° | 29" | 74" |
| Lewiston, NY | 19° | 81° | 34" | 72" |
| River Rouge, MI | 20° | 83° | 35" | 54" |
| Cleveland, OH | 23° | 82° | 38" | 64" |
| Big Bear Lake, CA | 25° | 80° | 24" | 59" |
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 Priest River averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.6°).
A smaller shift than in 66% 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 Priest River compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Priest River’s place among Idaho’s.
Priest River weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Priest River’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Priest Rvr Exp Stn, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 22° | 3.6" | 21.8" | 16 | 31 | 21° – 33° |
| February | 39° | 23° | 2.3" | 11.3" | 12 | 27 | 21° – 37° |
| March | 48° | 27° | 3.0" | 5.4" | 14 | 21 | 32° – 43° |
| April | 57° | 32° | 2.2" | 0.3" | 13 | 2 | 40° – 52° |
| May | 67° | 40° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| June | 73° | 46° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| July | 83° | 50° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 72° |
| August | 83° | 48° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| September | 72° | 41° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| October | 56° | 33° | 2.5" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 39° – 51° |
| November | 41° | 28° | 3.6" | 9.2" | 16 | 7 | 28° – 41° |
| December | 33° | 22° | 4.0" | 25.7" | 17 | 25 | 21° – 32° |
| Year | 57° | 34° | 28.6" | 73.9" | 142 | 114 |
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°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Priest River’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 Priest River’s center.
- Snow: Priest Rvr Exp Stn, ID.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Newport, WA, 7 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 Priest River’s climate
What is the weather like in Priest River?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 74 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 53% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Priest River in winter?
December nights average 22°. About 169 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Priest River get?
About 74 inches in a normal winter at Priest Rvr Exp Stn, ID, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 114 days a year.
How hot does it get in Priest River?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 50°. About 21 days a year reach 90° (Newport, WA).
When is the first and last frost in Priest River?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by September 21, about 130 frost-free days, at Newport, WA.
What growing zone is Priest River in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Priest River?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Priest River getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Priest River.
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.