Coeur dAlene, ID Weather

Coeur d’Alene has, depending on the definition, a dry-summer continental climate or a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Csb), characterized by a cold, moist climate in winter, and very warm, dry conditions in summer. The daily mean temperature ranges from 29.8 °F (−1.2 °C) in December to 69.0 °F (20.6 °C) in July and August. Temperatures exceed 90 °F (32 °C) on 13 days per year, only occasionally reaching 100 °F (38 °C), and there may be several nights below 10 °F (−12 °C). The average first and last freeze of the season are October 12 and May 3, respectively. The city straddles the border between USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 6B and 7A. The Spokane–Coeur d’Alene area has many microclimates that can have different weather patterns and observations than the nearby official reporting stations used by the National Weather Service due to the diversity of the topography and other factors. For instance, northern Idaho experiences more precipitation in rain and snow than eastern Washington from weather systems originating from the Pacific Ocean because it is on the windward side of the Rocky Mountains. Northern Idaho weather is influenced by both maritime and continental weather systems. Moist air masses from the coast is released as precipitation over the North Central Rockies forests, creating the North American inland temperate rainforest, and dry air masses from Canada and the Great Plains contribute to dry summer months. Coeur d’Alene can have noticeably milder nights and cooler days due to the moderating effect on the climate of large bodies of water such as Lake Coeur d’Alene.