Idaho Falls, ID Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Temperature and precipitation from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →, plus PlainClimate's derived comfort score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Idaho Falls's primary NOAA station, IDAHO FALLS 46 W - 2 stations mapped to the area.
The climate verdict for Idaho Falls
Dryness leads the climate profile for Idaho Falls, Idaho, with 8.2 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 43°F. At 29/100 (below average) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 1% of scores.
- 43°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 29/100
- comfort score, above 1% of station-mapped location scores
- 8.2"
- annual precipitation · 25" snow
- 87 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Idaho Falls: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USW00094143 · Idaho Falls, ID 43°F mean · 8.2" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-COOL · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-ARID · SWING-WIDE · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-MULTI · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 43°F
- RANK-COOL #755
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Malone
- PRCP-ARID 8.2"
- SWING-WIDE 52°F
- COMF-LOW 29/100
- LOAD-HEAT 8,418 HDD
- STN-MULTI USW00094143
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Malone, NY (+ 0 °F mean)
Instrument codes from this station's NOAA 1991–2020 normals, mean temperature, corpus warmth rank, photo-finish peer station, precipitation band, seasonal swing, comfort composite, degree-day load, and field book, not a livability rating.
Mean-temperature neighbourhood
Nationwide NOAA normal poles and nearest peers, not a reprint of every ID station list.
- Idaho Falls (this station) 43°F
- Cold Morrisville Sto…, VT 43°F
- Hot Malone, NY 43°F
- Near Suring, WI 43°F
- Near Marquette, MI 43°F
Climate Living Index · Idaho Falls
Idaho Falls: 10/100 · grade F
Idaho Falls publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Idaho Falls, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 29/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Snowfall burden | 24.8 inches/year | 44/100 · D |
| Annual temperature balance | 42.7°F · 24.8° from 67.5°F | 11/100 · F |
| Precipitation balance | 8.2 in · 26.8 from 35 in | 8/100 · F |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 229 calendar days | 2/100 · F |
| Frost-free season | 87 days/year | 0/100 · F |
Idaho Falls · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Idaho Falls's normals sit in a dry climate class: BSk
Precipitation is low relative to temperature but above true desert thresholds: cold semi-arid steppe (BSk). Class BSk is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: dry (arid or semi-arid), specifically cold semi-arid steppe.
- Köppen code
- BSk
- Group
- Dry (arid or semi-arid)
- Warmest month
- 69.3°F
- Coldest month
- 16.9°F
Source: official public datasets monthly normals (1991–2020) at the city’s primary station. This is a station classification, not a mapped regional consensus.
National standing · heating-led station
Where Idaho Falls sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Idaho Falls's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- Cooler than 89%
- Among 6,861 stations, Idaho Falls sits in the cooler third of annual means.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 97%
- Idaho Falls's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Wider than 87%
- Warmest-to-coldest month gap for Idaho Falls is large versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Idaho Falls compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Idaho Falls's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
29 1st percentile score exceeds 1% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). This entry sits in this band.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Above this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Above this entry.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Above this entry.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). Above this entry.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Idaho Falls's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 66 complete annual observations from 1955 to 2025, IDAHO FALLS 46 W warmed at a fitted rate of 0.20°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Idaho Falls primary station fitted change +0.20 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28°F (-2°C) | 6°F (-15°C) | 17°F (-8°C) | 0.7" | 7.2" | 30.9 | 0.0 |
| February | 33°F (1°C) | 10°F (-12°C) | 22°F (-6°C) | 0.5" | 4.4" | 27.6 | 0.0 |
| March | 46°F (8°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 0.6" | 1.9" | 28.7 | 0.0 |
| April | 57°F (14°C) | 28°F (-2°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 0.9" | 1.0" | 21.2 | 0.0 |
| May | 67°F (20°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 1.3" | 0.0" | 8.5 | 0.2 |
| June | 77°F (25°C) | 44°F (6°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 0.8" | 0.0" | 1.8 | 3.1 |
| July | 89°F (32°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 69°F (21°C) | 0.4" | 0.0" | 0.2 | 16.3 |
| August | 87°F (30°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 67°F (20°C) | 0.4" | 0.0" | 0.3 | 12.7 |
| September | 76°F (24°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 0.7" | 0.0" | 7.4 | 1.4 |
| October | 60°F (15°C) | 27°F (-3°C) | 44°F (6°C) | 0.7" | 0.4" | 22.4 | 0.0 |
| November | 42°F (6°C) | 17°F (-9°C) | 29°F (-1°C) | 0.5" | 2.3" | 28.5 | 0.0 |
| December | 29°F (-1°C) | 7°F (-14°C) | 18°F (-8°C) | 0.7" | 7.6" | 30.7 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Idaho Falls works both ends of the calendar. Normal highs climb to 91°F by July 24 and hold at or above 90°F on 18 dates, then normal lows drop to freezing or below on 211 dates, bottoming at 5°F around January 1.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from July 18 through August 4, covering 18 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs May 25 to September 27.
This counts calendar dates whose 1991–2020 normal high reaches 90°F. It is a smaller number than the 90°F+ day counts in the monthly table above, which measure how often the threshold was actually crossed in a typical year. A date can average 88°F and still exceed 90°F in half of all years.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into May 1, then returns to freezing around October 4, covering 211 dates in all.
Derived from the normal daily minimum. This is a different measure from the 50%-probability frost dates shown elsewhere on this page, which come from NOAA’s frost product.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is May 18, when 29% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is July 20 at 12%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 69 wet dates a year.
The widest day
July 22 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 40°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Idaho Falls.
Where Idaho Falls Stands Nationally
Winters bite deep and often: the normal nightly low dips to freezing or below on around 211 nights a year, placing this among the most frost-prone tenth of ranked stations.
Aridity defines the water calendar: about 8 inches in a normal year lands this among the driest tenth of ranked stations.
Idaho Falls earns 2 nationally notable standings (outer quintiles) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations; only those extremes render.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 7.2"
6.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 4.4"
5.3 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.9"
5.5 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.0"
7.1 days with precipitation
8.6 days with precipitation
5.8 days with precipitation
3.4 days with precipitation
4.0 days with precipitation
4.3 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.4"
4.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 2.3"
5.1 days with precipitation
Snow: 7.6"
7.0 days with precipitation
Idaho Falls spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 20% of the annual total and December through February 23%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Idaho Falls has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a wide 52.4°F gap between its warmest and coldest month.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: May averages 1.3" and July 0.4". The three wettest months together take 37% of the year, against the 25% a perfectly flat distribution would give them.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. "Spread across the year" means neither the June-August nor the December-February share reaches 35%; it describes an average year, not the variability of any single one.
Idaho Falls is dry, and what does fall arrives gently
Only about 68 days a year record measurable precipitation here, 18% of the calendar, and they carry 8.2" between them. At roughly 0.12 inches on an average wet day, this is not the damp drizzle of a marine climate; it is an arid record in which precipitation is both uncommon and light when it appears.
The wettest month by count is May at about 9 wet days; the driest is July at about 3.
A low per-event average in a dry record is a statement about typical days only. Arid regions can still take a large share of a year's total from a single convective storm, which a normal cannot show.
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year, not the extremes within it.
Winter brings real snow to Idaho Falls
Idaho Falls averages 24.8 inches of snowfall a year, with December the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 21 days that record measurable snow. That is depth accumulating on the ground, which is why it can exceed the annual precipitation figure: precipitation counts the liquid the snow melts down to, and fresh snow is mostly air.
- Annual snowfall: 24.8 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 21 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 30% of the year's precipitation.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. The ten-to-one ratio is a convention, not a measurement: real ratios vary with temperature, so treat the share as an order of magnitude rather than an exact split.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
September 6
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
June 11
50% probability date
Growing Season
87 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
8,418
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
315
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside ID closest to Idaho Falls on two NOAA annual-normal axes (mean temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual mean temperature (43°F here).
- Danbury, WI 43°F · 0.0°F off
- Ennis, MT 43°F · 0.0°F off
- Holcombe, WI 43°F · 0.0°F off
- Malone, NY 43°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (8.2" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Coalinga, CA 8.2" · 0.0" off
- Litchfield Park, AZ 8.2" · 0.0" off
- Sanders, AZ 8.2" · 0.0" off
- Marysvale, UT 8.2" · 0.0" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Idaho Falls
heating led · dry · mid swing
Idaho Falls's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 8,418 annual heating degree days against 315 for cooling. Its 52.4°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Only about 87 days are frost-free in a normal year. That short interval is consistent with the cold-season signal, but the measure does not predict the exact first or last freeze in any one year.
-
1. Idaho Falls coldest normal
January
Averaging 17°F (-8°C), this month sits below freezing for the month as a whole, not merely overnight.
-
2. Idaho Falls typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Idaho Falls snow peak
December
Idaho Falls averages 24.8 inches of snow a year, with December the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Idaho Falls's climate
How much snow does Idaho Falls get? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Idaho Falls get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Idaho Falls? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Idaho Falls's primary station: IDAHO FALLS 46 W (USW00094143). 2 NOAA stations are mapped to the Idaho Falls area; the primary station's record is used for consistency. For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The 2024 Census Gazetteer identifies the exact name-and-state match as an incorporated place (GEOID 1639700). Match rule for Idaho Falls: exact normalized name + state only, no fuzzy expansion, so nearby differently spelled facilities stay unmatched.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Idaho Falls comes from its primary NOAA station record. No figure on this page is typed in by an editor - each value is rendered from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 1991–2020 normals.