Photo: Denisemurray1 · CC BY-SA 3.0Rathdrum’s winters are milder but snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Rathdrum at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rathdrum’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rathdrum’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Rathdrum feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 179 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 22 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Coeur D'alene, ID, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rathdrum’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −1°. 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 27 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bayview Model Basin, ID, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 26 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 116 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rathdrum
94% 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 Coeur D'alene, ID.
Living with Rathdrum’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
179 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 22 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 3.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rathdrum from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 35%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rathdrum and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Rathdrum yet.
Climates most like Rathdrum’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rathdrum, ID | 25° | 83° | 26" | 27" |
| Ruidoso, NM | 22° | 82° | 20" | 26" |
| St. Clair Shores, MI | 20° | 82° | 34" | 28" |
| Oregon, OH | 21° | 85° | 33" | 37" |
| Hood River, OR | 32° | 85° | 23" | 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 Rathdrum averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°).
A bigger 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 Rathdrum compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rathdrum’s place among Idaho’s.
Rathdrum weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rathdrum’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bayview Model Basin, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 25° | 3.4" | 8.7" | 13 | 24° – 35° |
| February | 40° | 25° | 2.2" | 3.2" | 10 | 22° – 38° |
| March | 48° | 29° | 2.7" | 1.8" | 12 | 33° – 46° |
| April | 57° | 34° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 40° – 53° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 48° – 60° |
| June | 73° | 47° | 2.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 56° – 68° |
| July | 83° | 52° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 57° – 72° |
| August | 83° | 51° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 61° – 70° |
| September | 73° | 43° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 53° – 65° |
| October | 57° | 35° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 40° – 52° |
| November | 43° | 29° | 3.2" | 1.4" | 13 | 30° – 43° |
| December | 35° | 24° | 3.7" | 12.1" | 14 | 23° – 34° |
| Year | 58° | 36° | 26.4" | 27.2" | 116 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Rathdrum’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 Rathdrum’s center.
- Snow: Bayview Model Basin, ID.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Coeur D'alene, ID, 9 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 Rathdrum’s climate
What is the weather like in Rathdrum?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rathdrum in winter?
December nights average 24°. About 120 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 23°.
How much snow does Rathdrum get?
About 27 inches in a normal winter at Bayview Model Basin, ID, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Rathdrum?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 52°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Coeur D'alene, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Rathdrum?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 22 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 179 frost-free days, at Coeur D'alene, ID.
What growing zone is Rathdrum in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rathdrum?
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 Rathdrum getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rathdrum.
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.