Pocatello climate
Pocatello (Idaho, United States) has a hot-summer continental (dry summer) climate (Köppen Dsa). The average temperature over the year is 9 °C49 °F, and about 411 mm16 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Pocatello climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 033 | −915 | −424 | 411.6 | 31 |
| Feb | 338 | −720 | −229 | 351.4 | 27 |
| Mar | 1049 | −228 | 439 | 421.6 | 26 |
| Apr | 1458 | 134 | 846 | 441.7 | 16 |
| May | 2069 | 643 | 1356 | 451.8 | 4 |
| Jun | 2780 | 1152 | 1966 | 281.1 | 0 |
| Jul | 3392 | 1762 | 2577 | 140.5 | 0 |
| Aug | 3188 | 1560 | 2374 | 190.7 | 0 |
| Sep | 2577 | 1050 | 1763 | 321.3 | 0 |
| Oct | 1660 | 337 | 948 | 341.3 | 11 |
| Nov | 745 | −326 | 236 | 341.3 | 24 |
| Dec | 133 | −818 | −425 | 451.8 | 30 |
| Year | 3392 | −915 | 949 | 41116 | 169 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 87% | 67% | 1.9 | 9:21 |
| Feb | 78% | 69% | 2.8 | 10:28 |
| Mar | 66% | 68% | 4.0 | 11:48 |
| Apr | 59% | 61% | 5.3 | 13:20 |
| May | 54% | 57% | 6.5 | 14:37 |
| Jun | 46% | 43% | 7.5 | 15:19 |
| Jul | 36% | 35% | 7.5 | 15:02 |
| Aug | 36% | 36% | 6.6 | 13:55 |
| Sep | 42% | 36% | 5.2 | 12:26 |
| Oct | 55% | 49% | 3.5 | 10:57 |
| Nov | 69% | 60% | 2.1 | 9:40 |
| Dec | 82% | 71% | 1.5 | 9:02 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Pocatello is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 33 °C92 °F and a low of 17 °C62 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 0 °C33 °F and lows −9 °C15 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 29.4 °C53 °F warmer than the coldest.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 411 mm16 in. The wettest three-month stretch is March–May, which brings 32% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: July and August. The wettest month is May (45 mm1.8 in), the driest is July (14 mm0.5 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 36% in August to 87% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 35%) are typical of July. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in August to 11 km/h (7 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 9.0 hours in December to 15.3 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in November–March, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in January, about 19 cm).
Best time to visit Pocatello
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May and June and September: average highs of 20 °C69 °F to 27 °C80 °F with 28 mm1.1 in to 45 mm1.8 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 0 °C33 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Pocatello
- Winter (December–February) — highs 033 to 3 °C38 °F, lows −915 to −7 °C20 °F, about 40 mm1.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack a winter coat, hat, gloves and warm, non-slip boots and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1049 to 20 °C69 °F, lows −228 to 6 °C43 °F, about 43 mm1.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2780 to 33 °C92 °F, lows 1152 to 17 °C62 °F, about 20 mm0.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 745 to 25 °C77 °F, lows −326 to 10 °C50 °F, about 33 mm1.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Pocatello compares
Compared with Salt Lake City, about 239 km to the south, Pocatello is on average 2.1 °C3.8 °F cooler and receives 24% less precipitation (411 mm16 in vs 543 mm21 in). The difference is largest in January (2.8 °C5.1 °F cooler).
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, Pocatello is the 208th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 186th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Kelowna (Canada, Dfa), Ağrı (Turkey, Dfa) and Kamloops (Canada, Dfb).
Nearby places
- Salt Lake City 239 km · 11 °C52 °F · 543 mm21 in
- West Valley City 245 km · 12 °C54 °F · 542 mm21 in
- West Jordan 255 km · 12 °C54 °F · 542 mm21 in
- Provo 300 km · 12 °C54 °F · 468 mm18 in
- Boise 315 km · 12 °C54 °F · 389 mm15 in
- Billings 451 km · 10 °C50 °F · 428 mm17 in
- Tri-Cities 653 km · 14 °C57 °F · 278 mm11 in
- Spokane 660 km · 9 °C49 °F · 552 mm22 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Pocatello?
July is the warmest month in Pocatello, with an average high of 33 °C (92 °F) and an average low of 17 °C (62 °F).
What is the coldest month in Pocatello?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 0 °C (33 °F) and an average low of -9 °C (15 °F).
When does it rain the most in Pocatello?
May is the wettest month with about 45 mm (1.8 in) of precipitation; July is the driest with about 14 mm (0.5 in).
What is the best time to visit Pocatello?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May and June and September.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 1,547 m, while Pocatello lies at about 1,360 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.2 °C2.2 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.