Photo: Howpper · CC BY-SA 3.0State Line’s winters are milder but snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in State Line at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about State Line’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with State Line’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in State Line 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, 11 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts State Line’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Spokane International Airport, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 25 inches a year; December is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 113 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in State Line
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 State Line’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
179 frost-free days in zone 7a. 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.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in State Line from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (64%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 27%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →State Line and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around State Line yet.
Climates most like State Line’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State Line, ID | 25° | 84° | 25" | 45" |
| Oregon, OH | 21° | 85° | 33" | 37" |
| Monroe, MI | 21° | 83° | 34" | 41" |
| Big Bear Lake, CA | 25° | 80° | 24" | 59" |
| Ruidoso, NM | 22° | 82° | 20" | 26" |
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 State Line averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.5°).
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 State Line compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with State Line’s place among Idaho’s.
State Line weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at State Line’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Spokane International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 25° | 3.2" | 12.3" | 14 | 16 | 24° – 36° |
| February | 41° | 26° | 2.2" | 7.8" | 11 | 10 | 23° – 40° |
| March | 49° | 30° | 2.6" | 3.9" | 12 | 4 | 34° – 47° |
| April | 57° | 34° | 2.1" | 0.7" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 54° |
| May | 67° | 42° | 2.1" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| June | 73° | 48° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 69° |
| July | 84° | 53° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 57° – 73° |
| August | 83° | 52° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| September | 74° | 44° | 1.0" | 0.1" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| October | 58° | 35° | 2.2" | 0.5" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 53° |
| November | 43° | 30° | 3.2" | 6.2" | 13 | 4 | 30° – 44° |
| December | 35° | 25° | 3.5" | 13.8" | 14 | 13 | 24° – 34° |
| Year | 58° | 37° | 25.4" | 45.4" | 113 | 48 |
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 40°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where State Line’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 State Line’s center.
- Snow: Spokane International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Coeur D'alene, ID, 11 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 State Line’s climate
What is the weather like in State Line?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 25°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 63% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 65% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in State Line in winter?
December nights average 25°. About 120 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 24°.
How much snow does State Line get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter at Spokane International Airport, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 48 days a year.
How hot does it get in State Line?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 53°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Coeur D'alene, ID).
When is the first and last frost in State Line?
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 State Line in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit State Line?
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 State Line 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 State Line.
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.