confused about weather (Sandpoint, Wallace, Ponderay: homes, living, prices) - Idaho (ID) - City-Data Forum

calicocutie · 06-14-2007, 07:28 AM

I've been reading different posts and am getting a little confused as to weather. I thought northern Idaho would gets lots of snow and not get too hot in the summer-no humidity, either. Then I read on a post that Coeur d' Alene has mild winters. I thought that was in northern Idaho. We are interested in Wallace, Sandpoint, Ponderay, Kootenai--no father south than Wallace. Should we be looking at a different spot if we want snow? Thanks for any help you can give me.

Sage of Sagle · 06-14-2007, 02:34 PM

You'll get plenty of snow in Sandpoint. And for some reason, a lot more in Sagle. This winter, it would be 2-3' deep around our place in Sagle, but when I'd go to town there would be very little snow in town. More again when you get up against the hills (Ponderay sits below Schweitzer).

brokencrayola · 06-14-2007, 11:35 PM

We have very little humidity here. Snow can vary a lot from year to year. I have seen winters here in north Idaho where it snowed very little (but is still cold) and years where we get a few feet of snow or much more. Generally speaking we get our first snow anywhere from around Halloween to into Dec. It can snow and just stick or snow and melt and snow and melt. In March or April the snow usually melts and then we get rain off and on (some years we get a lot of rain) from March or April into early July. It is not uncommon for some lightning and thunder to accompany those rain storms. Usually somewhere around July 4th we get our real summer and that lasts into Sept. It can get to over 100 but most days would be in the 80's and 90's. In mid-late Sept. the temps begin to cool, nights really cool and fall begins.

Sanddawgg · 06-18-2007, 11:35 PM

Hey, I live here and i'm confused about the weather! It's late June and we have been having weeks of cold rainy weather after seeing temps in the high eighties and low nineties. I heard that they got three inches of snow up at Schweitzer Memorial Day weekend, but it is clear up there now. Here in Sandpoint, where you are makes all the difference. We are just 100-200 feet above the highway, at nearly the same elevation as Sandpoint, and we often have snow in the yard for quite awhile after it has melted in town, and across the river with the northern exposed homes in the shadows, they have snow for quite awhile after our snow has melted.

cleosmom · 06-19-2007, 08:44 AM

I live in SE Idaho and I'm always confused about the weather. I can recall a few times seeing folks siting outside for the 4th of July parade with blankets and sleeping bags.

brokencrayola · 06-25-2007, 05:17 PM

It is not at all uncommon, in fact it is normal here, to have 2-3 weeks of really nice weather in May and then the rains start later in May and continue usually until sometime around July 4th. I have seen June's where it rained all day everday.

george_seifert · 07-30-2009, 12:10 PM

I'm thinking of retiring there in a few years (moving from Minnesota). Do you get a lot freeze/thaw cycles in the winter? One of the things I don't like here is all the ice. I'm fine with the snow, but I wish it would stay that way. Going for walks on the ice isn't fun. Do you really not get many days below 0? I don't mind winter, but last year we had almost a month of daytime highs below 0. Not fun. My dog didn't think it was fun to wear booties either.

From some of the posts here it seems like the weather stats I've seen may not be accurate ( I saw very few days in the history in the 90s) yet it sounds like a lot of days in the 90s aren't uncommon.

Is anyone living there now from MN? Can you compare/contrast the weather in the two locations?

How about mosquitoes? With the drier climate I'm hoping they are not as prevalent there.

dieselperformanceidaho · 08-02-2009, 01:56 AM

I grew up in that area and winters here are mild compared to back there. imo it really never gets super cold here and is pretty even during the winter months no -20 to 20 like you get there. also yes it's been hot here lately 96,98,99 but thats not the norm. i'll take 95 here compared to 85 with 80% humidty there

dieselperformanceidaho · 08-02-2009, 01:57 AM

the bugs can be a little bit of a pain in the woods but thats it hardly nothing else

george_seifert · 08-03-2009, 07:22 AM

Thanks much for the replies about the weather and bugs. I can't wait to visit to check it out. I've been looking at some homes on the internet dreaming about retirement. There are certainly some very nice homes there for reasonable prices. I suppose the housing market will turn around in a few years though and change all that.