Is it unusually hot in the Sandpoint / CDA area this year? (Harrison: to live in, stores)

[george_seifert]

I'm in Minnesota monitoring your weather to see if it's someplace I'd like to retire to. We've had an unusually dry and cool summer so far (almost makes me want to stay here except I know it's not normal). It seems like Northern Idaho is a blast furnace this year. Is that true or is the Weather Underground data wrong?

George

[Sage of Sagle]

This seems about normal (if any weather here is "normal"). I think it was hotter last year, but that's just my recollection. This time last year it was 100 in Spokane, and they're at about 83'ish today. I think last year we got more rain with our thunderstorms, but again, just my fuzzy recollection.

[brokencrayola]

Our spring was dryer than normal, we did not have as much rain in June as usual, but the weather we are having right now is normal. It will begin to cool off around mid-Sept. again.

[george_seifert]

Thanks for the input. I'm amazed at how hot it can get in the north country. I was hoping the climate there would be a bit more moderate than Minnesota.

[brokencrayola]

We do not have the humidity here, which is nice. It is usually only hot in July and August really.

[george_seifert]

The lower humidity certainly is a big plus. If you will indulge me some more I'd like to ask a couple of questions about winter. It sounds like November can be rainy and that through the winter you get a lot of freeze / thaw cycles. Does it get icy because of that? We're fine with snow and moderately cold weather (the weeks of below 0 we can get here are getting to be too much), but freezing rain and icy conditions can get old fast.

[1freespirit]

HI George:

We used to live in Minnesota up until 1994 - Actually was born and raised there, so I am very familar with the weather. In fact still have family in Minnesota. I grew up in Stacy Mn. about 40 miles North of the Twin cities.

This is what I have found the weather in North Idaho in comparrison to Minnesota. Currently we live in Harrison, ID about 45 miles South of Coeur d' Alene in the Idaho Panhandle and have been here like I stated since 1994. Sandpoint is about 75-80 miles north of where I live. So the Winters around Coeur d' Alene are can be quite different then Sandoint area, plus I believe the elevation is higher there also. In my post where I mention Idaho I am referring to the location where I live. The state is general is very versatile in temps, snowfall etc from region to region.

The differences we have noticed is as follows: (personal experience only in the area of Idaho we are located)

Spring: Usually from April - May (sometimes March or early June) so I would say about the same time frame as Minnesota although in Idaho we have very little storms. Nothing like Minnesota, very seldom do we get thunder and lighting. Temps are pretty much the same as Minnesota (during Spring)although I think Spring may appear sooner in Minnesota then in Idaho. Which is part of the reason Mn. will have a longer growing season for gardens then in Idaho. I think it varies and each year is different. And yes Spring time is when it rains.. no April showers cannot produce May flowers"

Summer: late June - Sept. Temps range about the same (upper 70's to mid 90"s on average) as Minnesota but the BIG difference is the humidity factor. In Minnesota you may have 95 degress and only 30-35% humidity where in Mn. the same temp of 95 may be at 85% or so humidity. Very seldom in does the humidity go above 60% unless it is raining. The hot humid summers in Mn. where it is warm thoughout the night does also contribute to the longer growing season. Where as in Idaho the altitude is much higher then Mn. so the evenings cool down quite nicely. There is not much rain during the Summer months on the average. Actually Summers in Idaho are near perfect in my opinion! .

Fall: Mid September to Mid to late October. Again varies per year so this is just an estimate if I had to give a specific range. And again temps are pretty much the same as Mn. except again for the humidity during that time but with less storms - It is very seldom there is a violent storm in Idaho (as far as I have noticed). And YES I do remember the storms in MN... infact I really do miss them. MN during fall you have much more color on the trees as in MN it is mainly hardwood whereas in Idaho is mostly Pine so they do not change color. The Tamerack Pines do change color the needles turn yellow which looks real pretty mixed in with the other pines, there are also some other maples etc that change color.

Winter: November to March (and then again sometimes only like 8 weeks) I have seen a dusting snow before Halloween and then other times I wonder if we will have a white Christmas. As far as over all snow this varies quite extremely from year to year. Since the average temp in Winter in Idaho tends to hover around the mid 20's to mid 30's for the most part. Therefore there is the possilbity to get quite a bit of snow. Last Winter 2008 we got dumped on majorly.. snowplowing or snowblowing almost daily to keep up with it BUT on the positive side it was not fridged cold like MN can be and even though a lot of snow it was quite beautiful and pleasent to be outside. As a norm I have not experienced that much snow on an average Idaho Winter in our location. Some Winters we may hardly get any snow only a inch or two on the ground. The temps hardly ever drop to below "0" exept for MAYBE a few days out of each Winter. And in no means does Idaho have the Windchills like Mn has. I will never forget the MN Winters... BURRRRRR! and I can say without a doubt the Idaho Winters are a peace of cake compared to MN. Idaho Winters the trees stay flocked with snow and it looks so B-E-A-utiful plus there is no need to plug your car in so it will start in the Winter. There can be some ice on the road at times but NOTHING like Minnesota can get. The paved roads stay petty good in the Winter the dirt roads can tend to get icy in the Spring when the melting occurs. All in all I have seen much worse in Minnesota.

Hope this information helps and if there is anything else that you may think I may help you with in the differences between the 2 states. Please let me know.

P.S. The Mosquitos is Idaho are NOTHING like Minnesota.. I swear in Minnesota the Mosquitos should be the state bird instead of the loon. .

All in all Minnesota is also beautiful (personally I like Idaho better as the terrain is so different) - I think every part of the world does have its own beauty.

Laurie AKA Freespirit

[1freespirit]

Originally Posted by 1freespirit

In Minnesota you may have 95 degress and only 30-35% humidity where in Mn. the same temp of 95 may be at 85% or so humidity.

Sorry meant to say In Idaho you may have 95 degrees and only 30-35% humidity where in MInnesota. the same temp of 95 may be at 85% or so humidity.

[george_seifert]

1freespirit,

Thanks for the detailed post. It really helps to hear from someone who's lived in both places. Have you spent much time in Sandpoint during the summer? I'm hoping there aren't too many days in the 90's there. Even with the low humidity, that's hot.

Great to hear about the mosquitoes. While this year has been great (hardly a single bite), I usually can't even think about going out in my yard in the evening.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by george_seifert

1freespirit,

Thanks for the detailed post. It really helps to hear from someone who's lived in both places. Have you spent much time in Sandpoint during the summer? I'm hoping there aren't too many days in the 90's there. Even with the low humidity, that's hot.

Great to hear about the mosquitoes. While this year has been great (hardly a single bite), I usually can't even think about going out in my yard in the evening.

Nice post, Laurie! and George, since you guys are talking mosquitoes: I find it hard to even think of any downsides to the NID summer (biased? Moi? ) but I do have to mention the yellowjackets/wasps. You can search another thread from earlier this year about bugs in NID. In August they seem to be everywhere, at least the two times I've been there that time of year! Yellowjacket traps in the backyard are a must. One rancher we talked to mentioned that all her raspberries a few years ago were eaten by yellowjackets, in a particularly bad year. But if you're vigilant and take down all the nests you can find in June, you're much better off later in the summer. You probably have the same problem in MN. Where we stayed in June this year (NID), the queens were very busy building nests, all over the front porch...I grew up in a northeastern place with millions of August wasps in the bakeries and grocery stores , crawling into your can of soda or beer when you're outside , hitting your face when you're bicycling, and so forth, and it doesn't seem to be anywhere close to that in Sandpoint, but the wasps are the only aspect of a NID summer that I can think of as being less than thrilling!
I'd be curious to hear from our Sandpoint people here how it is this year--any wasps yet?