Photo: Sam Beebe · CC BY 2.0Salmon’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Salmon at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Salmon’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Salmon’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Salmon feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 127 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by September 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Salmon-ksra, ID, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Salmon’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. 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 22 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Salmon-ksra, ID, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 9 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February 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 Salmon
96% 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 Salmon-ksra, ID.
Living with Salmon’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
127 frost-free days in zone 5b. 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 4.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Salmon from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Salmon and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Salmon yet.
Climates most like Salmon’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salmon, ID | 14° | 87° | 9" | 22" |
| Santa Fe, NM | 18° | 86° | 13" | 20" |
| Ephraim, UT | 14° | 89° | 12" | 20" |
| Powell, WY | 11° | 87° | 7" | 11" |
| Montrose, CO | 15° | 90° | 10" | 22" |
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 Salmon averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.3°).
A bigger shift than in 57% 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 Salmon compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Salmon’s place among Idaho’s.
Salmon weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Salmon’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Salmon-ksra, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 14° | 0.6" | 6.7" | 6 | 22 | 11° – 28° |
| February | 37° | 18° | 0.4" | 3.8" | 5 | 18 | 21° – 34° |
| March | 50° | 27° | 0.5" | 1.2" | 6 | 2 | 34° – 44° |
| April | 59° | 33° | 0.8" | 0.4" | 7 | 0 | 41° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 41° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 76° | 47° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 57° – 69° |
| July | 87° | 53° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 76° |
| August | 86° | 51° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 62° – 72° |
| September | 75° | 43° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 56° – 63° |
| October | 59° | 33° | 0.7" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 37° – 52° |
| November | 42° | 24° | 0.6" | 3.3" | 6 | 3 | 25° – 39° |
| December | 30° | 15° | 0.6" | 6.4" | 7 | 16 | 15° – 28° |
| Year | 58° | 33° | 8.9" | 22.0" | 78 | 62 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 28°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Salmon’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 Salmon’s center.
- Snow: Salmon-ksra, ID (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Salmon-ksra, ID, 0.4 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 Salmon’s climate
What is the weather like in Salmon?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 22 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 62% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Salmon in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 180 nights a year reach 32° or below and 10 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How much snow does Salmon get?
About 22 inches in a normal winter at Salmon-ksra, ID, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 62 days a year.
How hot does it get in Salmon?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 53°. About 25 days a year reach 90° (Salmon-ksra, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Salmon?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by September 24, about 127 frost-free days, at Salmon-ksra, ID.
What growing zone is Salmon in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Salmon?
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 Salmon getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Salmon.
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.