Magee Ranger Station · Photo: Prettymeadow · CC BY-SA 4.0Precipitation in Smelterville trails that of 83% of U.S. towns: 33 inches a year
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 84°. Its July afternoons stay fresher than in 63% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.2° higher. The outdoor season runs from May to September, with highs of 67–84°.
A year in Smelterville at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Smelterville’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Smelterville’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Smelterville feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 131 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Kellogg, ID, 2.7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Smelterville’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 52 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Kellogg, ID, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 33 inches a year; November is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 159 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Smelterville
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 Kellogg, ID.
Living with Smelterville’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
131 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 14 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Smelterville from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Smelterville and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Smelterville yet.
Climates most like Smelterville’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smelterville, ID | 25° | 84° | 33" | 52" |
| River Rouge, MI | 20° | 83° | 35" | 54" |
| Oregon, OH | 21° | 85° | 33" | 37" |
| Bellevue, PA | 22° | 85° | 40" | 44" |
| Geneseo, NY | 18° | 82° | 34" | 52" |
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 Smelterville averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.0°).
A smaller shift than in 65% 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 Smelterville compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Smelterville’s place among Idaho’s.
Smelterville weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Smelterville’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Kellogg, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 25° | 4.2" | 15.1" | 18 | 24° – 35° |
| February | 40° | 25° | 3.1" | 12.0" | 15 | 23° – 39° |
| March | 49° | 29° | 3.5" | 6.4" | 17 | 33° – 46° |
| April | 57° | 34° | 2.6" | 0.7" | 16 | 40° – 52° |
| May | 67° | 41° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 14 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 74° | 47° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 57° – 69° |
| July | 84° | 51° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 58° – 73° |
| August | 83° | 50° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 61° – 70° |
| September | 73° | 42° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 54° – 63° |
| October | 57° | 35° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 40° – 52° |
| November | 42° | 30° | 4.2" | 4.4" | 18 | 30° – 42° |
| December | 35° | 24° | 4.0" | 13.8" | 18 | 24° – 35° |
| Year | 58° | 36° | 32.7" | 52.4" | 159 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 39°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Smelterville’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 Smelterville’s center.
- Snow: Kellogg, ID.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Kellogg, ID, 2.7 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 Smelterville’s climate
What is the weather like in Smelterville?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 52 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 62% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Smelterville in winter?
December nights average 24°. About 147 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does Smelterville get?
About 52 inches in a normal winter at Kellogg, ID, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Smelterville?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 51°. About 21 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Kellogg, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Smelterville?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 131 frost-free days, at Kellogg, ID.
What growing zone is Smelterville 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 Smelterville?
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 Smelterville getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Smelterville.
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.