Pocatello City, ID Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: climate measurements used in PlainClimate's documented score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Pocatello City's primary NOAA station, POCATELLO CITY.
The climate verdict for Pocatello City
Dryness leads the climate profile for Pocatello City, Idaho, with 13.0 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 50°F. At 49/100 (moderate) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 18% of scores.
- 50°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 49/100
- comfort score, above 18% of station-mapped location scores
- 13.0"
- annual precipitation · 30" snow
- 162 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Pocatello City: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USC00107210 · Pocatello City, ID 50°F mean · 13.0" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-MID · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-DRY · SWING-WIDE · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 50°F
- RANK-MID #2,813
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Goshen
- PRCP-DRY 13.0"
- SWING-WIDE 46°F
- COMF-LOW 49/100
- LOAD-HEAT 6,130 HDD
- STN-1 USC00107210
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Goshen, IN (+ 0.1 °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.
- Pocatello City (this station) 50°F
- Cold Galion Wtr Wks, OH 50°F
- Hot Goshen, IN 50°F
- Near Northern Indiana, IN 50°F
- Near Oberlin, OH 50°F
Climate Living Index · Pocatello City
Pocatello City: 35/100 · grade F
Pocatello City publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Pocatello City, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 49/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Annual temperature balance | 50.2°F · 17.3° from 67.5°F | 41/100 · D |
| Snowfall burden | 29.7 inches/year | 39/100 · F |
| Frost-free season | 162 days/year | 35/100 · F |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 166 calendar days | 35/100 · F |
| Precipitation balance | 13.0 in · 22.0 from 35 in | 21/100 · F |
Pocatello City · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Pocatello City'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
- 74.8°F
- Coldest month
- 28.5°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 Pocatello City sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Pocatello City's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- 41st percentile warmth
- Mid-pack annual mean versus 6,861 station normals.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 87%
- Pocatello City's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- 65th percentile swing
- Typical seasonal amplitude versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Pocatello City compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Pocatello City's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
49 18th percentile score exceeds 18% 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%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). This entry sits in this band.
- 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
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36°F (2°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 29°F (-2°C) | 1.1" | 5.5" | 28.2 | 0.0 |
| February | 41°F (5°C) | 22°F (-5°C) | 31°F (0°C) | 0.9" | 6.7" | 23.2 | 0.0 |
| March | 52°F (11°C) | 31°F (-1°C) | 42°F (5°C) | 1.3" | 3.3" | 17.4 | 0.0 |
| April | 61°F (16°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 1.4" | 1.4" | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| May | 71°F (21°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 1.5" | 0.2" | 1.8 | 0.3 |
| June | 80°F (27°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 1.2" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 6.2 |
| July | 91°F (33°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 0.6" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 21.5 |
| August | 89°F (31°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 0.8" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 16.0 |
| September | 78°F (26°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 1.0" | 0.0" | 0.2 | 2.5 |
| October | 63°F (17°C) | 38°F (4°C) | 51°F (10°C) | 1.0" | 0.6" | 7.0 | 0.0 |
| November | 47°F (8°C) | 29°F (-2°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 1.0" | 2.9" | 18.9 | 0.0 |
| December | 36°F (2°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 29°F (-2°C) | 1.2" | 9.1" | 25.9 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Pocatello City works both ends of the calendar. Normal highs climb to 92°F by July 23 and hold at or above 90°F on 32 dates, then normal lows drop to freezing or below on 134 dates, bottoming at 20°F around December 21.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from July 10 through August 10, covering 32 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs May 14 to October 2.
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 March 18, then returns to freezing around November 6, covering 134 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 March 29, when 34% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is September 2 at 12%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 89 wet dates a year.
The widest day
July 15 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 32°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Pocatello City.
Where Pocatello City Stands Nationally
A drier-than-most normal water year — around 13 inches, below what four out of five ranked stations collect.
Pocatello City earns one nationally notable standing (outer quintile) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations, middle-of-the-pack metrics stay silent here.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 5.5"
8.5 days with precipitation
Snow: 6.7"
8.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 3.3"
10.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.4"
9.2 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.2"
10.0 days with precipitation
5.9 days with precipitation
3.9 days with precipitation
4.9 days with precipitation
3.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.6"
7.1 days with precipitation
Snow: 2.9"
6.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 9.1"
9.5 days with precipitation
Pocatello City 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 25%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Pocatello City has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a wide 46.3°F gap between its warmest and coldest month.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: May averages 1.5" and July 0.6". The three wettest months together take 32% 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.
Pocatello City is dry, and what does fall arrives gently
Only about 89 days a year record measurable precipitation here, 24% of the calendar, and they carry 13.0" between them. At roughly 0.15 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 March at about 11 wet days; the driest is September at about 4.
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 Pocatello City
Pocatello City averages 29.7 inches of snowfall a year, with December the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 25 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: 29.7 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 25 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 23% 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
October 11
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 2
50% probability date
Growing Season
162 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
6,130
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
755
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
December
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside ID closest to Pocatello City 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 (50°F here).
- Ainsworth, NE 50°F · 0.0°F off
- Aurora, IL 50°F · 0.0°F off
- Blair, NE 50°F · 0.0°F off
- Bloomington, IL 50°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (13.0" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Cheraw, CO 13.0" · 0.0" off
- Ennis, MT 12.9" · 0.0" off
- Jordan, MT 12.9" · 0.0" off
- Malta, MT 12.9" · 0.0" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Pocatello City
heating led · dry · mid swing
Pocatello City's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 6,130 annual heating degree days against 755 for cooling. Its 46.3°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Pocatello City's frost-free season lasts about 162 days, a middle-length window whose endpoints matter more than the annual average. It describes freeze probability, not year-specific planting conditions.
-
1. Pocatello City coldest normal
December
The monthly mean of 29°F (-2°C) sits near freezing, so cold nights and above-freezing afternoons share the same month.
-
2. Pocatello City typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Pocatello City snow peak
December
Pocatello City averages 29.7 inches of snow a year, with December the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Pocatello City's climate
How much snow does Pocatello City get? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Pocatello City get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Pocatello City? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Pocatello City's primary station: POCATELLO CITY (USC00107210). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The conservative exact name-and-state crosswalk finds no Census place match, so PlainClimate treats this as a station-mapped location and does not claim it is a municipality. No exact Gazetteer row for Pocatello City; facility counts that depend on place identity are therefore an upper bound, not a municipal census.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Pocatello City 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.