Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 4.0Afternoon heat in Spirit Lake trails that of 90% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 24°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 85% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.3° rise. Garden planting can start around May 22; autumn frost returns near September 22.
A year in Spirit Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Spirit Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Spirit Lake’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Spirit Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 122 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by September 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bayview Model Basin, ID, 14 miles from the town’s center, 490 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Spirit Lake’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −6°. 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 30 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 Spirit Lake
98% 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 Bayview Model Basin, ID.
Living with Spirit Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
122 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 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 Sep 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 6.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Spirit Lake from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (82%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Spirit Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Spirit Lake yet.
Climates most like Spirit Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit Lake, ID | 24° | 80° | 30" | 27" |
| Sandusky, OH | 22° | 82° | 36" | 33" |
| New Baltimore, MI | 19° | 82° | 34" | 32" |
| Winthrop Harbor, IL | 17° | 81° | 36" | 36" |
| North Dansville, NY | 17° | 82° | 33" | 36" |
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 Spirit Lake averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.0°).
A smaller 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 Spirit Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Spirit Lake’s place among Idaho’s.
Spirit Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Spirit Lake’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 | 33° | 24° | 4.1" | 8.7" | 13 | 23° – 34° |
| February | 38° | 24° | 2.5" | 3.2" | 10 | 21° – 37° |
| March | 46° | 28° | 3.1" | 1.8" | 12 | 32° – 43° |
| April | 54° | 33° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 39° – 50° |
| May | 64° | 41° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 47° – 58° |
| June | 70° | 46° | 2.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 55° – 66° |
| July | 80° | 51° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 4 | 57° – 71° |
| August | 80° | 50° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 4 | 59° – 68° |
| September | 70° | 43° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 52° – 62° |
| October | 54° | 35° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 39° – 51° |
| November | 40° | 29° | 3.8" | 1.4" | 13 | 29° – 41° |
| December | 33° | 24° | 4.2" | 12.1" | 14 | 22° – 33° |
| Year | 55° | 36° | 30.4" | 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 21° to 37°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Spirit Lake’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 Spirit Lake’s center.
- Snow: Bayview Model Basin, ID.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bayview Model Basin, ID, 14 miles from the town’s center, 490 ft lower; 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 Spirit Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Spirit Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 27 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 60% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Spirit Lake in winter?
December nights average 24°. About 172 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 22°.
How much snow does Spirit Lake get?
About 27 inches in a normal winter at Bayview Model Basin, ID, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Spirit Lake?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 51°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Bayview Model Basin, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Spirit Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by September 22, about 122 frost-free days, at Bayview Model Basin, ID.
What growing zone is Spirit Lake in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −6°.
What is the best time of year to visit Spirit Lake?
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 Spirit Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 57% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Spirit Lake.
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.