Idaho Climate
Top 5 Cities: Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Idaho Falls, and Pocatello
This month in numbers
Idaho experienced its warmest March on record in 77 years, with an average temperature of 5.22°C, a significant 4.8°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. This contributed to the period of January–March 2026 being the 2nd warmest on record for the state, with an average temperature of 1.46°C, which is 3.9°C above the baseline. Maximum temperatures also reflected this trend, with March 2026 ranking as the 3rd warmest on record for maximum temperatures, and the January–March period ranking 2nd warmest. Globally, April 2026 was the 2nd warmest April on record for land temperatures, and the February–April 2026 period was also the 2nd warmest on record for global land temperatures.
What changed
Idaho's exceptionally warm start to the year stands out, as the state ranked 23rd globally for its 1-month temperature anomaly and 18th for its 3-month anomaly. This warming trend is particularly striking when compared to the national picture, with 10 of the top 10 warmest 1-month anomalies and 9 of the top 10 warmest 3-month anomalies across all tracked regions being US states. Within its own NOAA Northwest US climate region, Idaho was the warmest member this month, with its 1-month anomaly 1.38°C warmer than the group average. The state has also seen two drought events and one flood event in the past 12 months, with the recent occurrences representing 100% of the annual total for both types of events, indicating an unusual concentration of these extremes. More information on these events can be found at Extreme Weather tracker.
What’s driving change?
The unusually warm conditions in Idaho are being driven by a combination of factors. A strong high-pressure system in March led to a heatwave across the state, resulting in record-high temperatures and accelerating snowmelt. This early snowmelt contributed to record-low snowpack levels by April 1st across Idaho, a critical concern for water resources. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with an anomaly of +0.11°C, but forecasts indicate a likely transition to El Niño in the coming months, with a 61% chance for May-Jul and a 79% chance for June-Aug. El Niño typically brings warmer and drier conditions to the Pacific Northwest, which could exacerbate the existing drought concerns. The state has already declared a drought emergency for all 44 counties due to the record-low snowpack and unusually warm winter.
Looking ahead
Seasonal outlooks suggest that Idaho is likely to experience higher-than-normal temperatures and below-normal precipitation from April through June, which could further intensify drought conditions and increase wildfire risk.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
Loading climate data...
Data Sources
Data Sources for Idaho
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Idaho changing?
Idaho is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Idaho come from?
Climate data for Idaho comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Idaho climate data cover?
The Idaho climate profile covers Boise, Meridian, Nampa, Idaho Falls and surrounding areas. Idaho climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Idaho climate update refreshed?
The Idaho climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.