Photo: Mandy · CC BY 2.0July in Wallace stays fresher than in 74% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 24°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 69% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.1° above 1901–2000. Garden planting can start around May 5; autumn frost returns near October 2.
A year in Wallace at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wallace’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wallace’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Wallace feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 149 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 5 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wallace, ID, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wallace’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −2°. 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 76 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Wallace, ID, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; November is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 151 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Wallace
97% 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 Wallace, ID.
Living with Wallace’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
149 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 5 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 1.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wallace from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wallace and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Wallace yet.
Climates most like Wallace’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wallace, ID | 24° | 83° | 38" | 76" |
| Avon Lake, OH | 22° | 82° | 38" | 64" |
| Benton Harbor, MI | 20° | 82° | 38" | 78" |
| Michigan City, IN | 19° | 82° | 39" | 65" |
| Lewiston, NY | 19° | 81° | 34" | 72" |
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 Wallace averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
A smaller shift than in 68% 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 Wallace compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wallace’s place among Idaho’s.
Wallace weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wallace’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Wallace, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 24° | 4.6" | 19.7" | 17 | 23° – 33° |
| February | 38° | 24° | 3.7" | 13.3" | 14 | 21° – 38° |
| March | 46° | 28° | 3.8" | 11.5" | 17 | 31° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 32° | 3.3" | 1.3" | 15 | 38° – 51° |
| May | 66° | 39° | 2.9" | 0.2" | 12 | 47° – 57° |
| June | 72° | 45° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 55° – 67° |
| July | 83° | 49° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 56° – 72° |
| August | 82° | 48° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 60° – 69° |
| September | 71° | 41° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 52° – 62° |
| October | 55° | 34° | 3.5" | 0.4" | 12 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 40° | 28° | 5.2" | 6.5" | 18 | 28° – 40° |
| December | 33° | 23° | 4.6" | 22.7" | 16 | 23° – 33° |
| Year | 56° | 35° | 37.7" | 75.6" | 151 |
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 38°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Wallace’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 Wallace’s center.
- Snow: Wallace, ID (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wallace, ID, 0.4 miles from the town’s center, 200 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 Wallace’s climate
What is the weather like in Wallace?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 24°, and about 76 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wallace in winter?
December nights average 23°. About 155 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 23°.
How much snow does Wallace get?
About 76 inches in a normal winter at Wallace, ID, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Wallace?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 49°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Wallace, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Wallace?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 5 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 149 frost-free days, at Wallace, ID.
What growing zone is Wallace in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −2°.
What is the best time of year to visit Wallace?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Wallace getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wallace.
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.