Photo: Bobjgalindo · CC BY-SA 4.0Winchester gets about 87 inches of snow a winter, more than 96% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 87 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Winchester at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Winchester’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Winchester’s place in Idaho beside it.
What a year in Winchester feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 121 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 23 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Winchester, ID, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Winchester’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −4°. 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 87 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Winchester, ID, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 24 inches a year; May is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 143 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Winchester
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 Winchester, ID.
Living with Winchester’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
121 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by May 23 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Winchester from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 6%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Winchester and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Winchester yet.
Climates most like Winchester’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winchester, ID | 22° | 78° | 24" | 87" |
| Big Bear Lake, CA | 25° | 80° | 24" | 59" |
| Traverse City, MI | 17° | 79° | 32" | 101" |
| Greece, NY | 19° | 79° | 34" | 102" |
| Black Forest, CO | 16° | 81° | 20" | 121" |
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 Winchester averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.4°).
A smaller shift than in 67% 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 Winchester compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Winchester’s place among Idaho’s.
Winchester weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Winchester’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Winchester, ID. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 22° | 1.9" | 17.9" | 15 | 23 | 20° – 35° |
| February | 39° | 23° | 2.0" | 13.1" | 13 | 19 | 22° – 39° |
| March | 45° | 26° | 2.5" | 15.8" | 16 | 13 | 30° – 42° |
| April | 51° | 31° | 2.8" | 9.1" | 16 | 3 | 36° – 48° |
| May | 61° | 38° | 2.9" | 1.6" | 14 | 0 | 45° – 54° |
| June | 67° | 44° | 2.6" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| July | 78° | 50° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 54° – 69° |
| August | 79° | 49° | 0.7" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| September | 70° | 42° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| October | 55° | 34° | 2.0" | 1.1" | 11 | 1 | 39° – 51° |
| November | 42° | 26° | 2.4" | 13.1" | 15 | 10 | 27° – 40° |
| December | 35° | 21° | 2.2" | 14.5" | 15 | 21 | 21° – 32° |
| Year | 55° | 34° | 24.0" | 86.5" | 143 | 90 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 39°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Winchester’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 Winchester’s center.
- Snow: Winchester, ID (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Winchester, ID, 0.2 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 Winchester’s climate
What is the weather like in Winchester?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 22°, and about 87 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 50% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Winchester in winter?
December nights average 21°. About 171 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 21°.
How much snow does Winchester get?
About 87 inches in a normal winter at Winchester, ID, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 90 days a year.
How hot does it get in Winchester?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 50°. About 5 days a year reach 90° (Winchester, ID).
When is the first and last frost in Winchester?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 23 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 121 frost-free days, at Winchester, ID.
What growing zone is Winchester in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −4°.
What is the best time of year to visit Winchester?
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 Winchester getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Winchester.
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.