Climate and Weather Resources
Historical climate data for Idaho
- Access historical climate data from land-based weather stations in Idaho through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).
- Climate Normals (30-year averages of temperature and precipitation) calculated by NCEI.
Drought
- The U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM) provides maps of current drought conditions, forecasts and other drought information for Idaho and the U.S. Idaho Climate Service partners with Idaho agencies to assess evolving drought conditions and demarcate drought severity boundaries for the USDM maps.
Mountain snow
- Most of the water found in Idaho’s rivers, streams, lakes and even groundwater originates as winter snowpack in the mountains. Spring and summer snowmelt delivers runoff to rivers where it provides recreation, irrigation, environmental flows, municipal and industrial supplies, and a myriad of other uses.
- Maps of real-time mountain snow observations from the Snow Telemetry Network operated by the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service.
Streamflow and water supply
- Access data from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Hydromet network of Hydrologic and Meteorologic monitoring stations throughout the Pacific Northwest.
- Access U.S. Geological Survey Streamflow data for Idaho.
Evaporation
- Evaporation affects the amount of irrigation water needed to grow crops. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s AgriMet network collects weather data and calculates evaporation at a network of stations across Idaho and the western U.S.