ID vs Denver weather (Boise, Pocatello: live, versus, stats)
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Idaho has Pacific influences unlike Denver, mostly in NID, and perhaps Boise. So, while winter can be hard, temps usually do not get extremely cold. Idaho Falls is further east and does not get this moderation. In general, NID has snowy winter's but doesn’t get extremely cold, excepting this recent Continental outbreak.
But in general, Denver has more temperature change while winters in Idaho are more consistent with temps.
Idaho has Pacific influences unlike Denver, mostly in NID, and perhaps Boise. So, while winter can be hard, temps usually do not get extremely cold. Idaho Falls is further east and does not get this moderation. In general, NID has snowy winter's but doesn’t get extremely cold, excepting this recent Continental outbreak.
But in general, Denver has more temperature change while winters in Idaho are more consistent with temps.
There's a Pacific influence all over the state, but from different parts of the Pacific.
NID gets most of it's Pacific temps and moisture from the north, while SID gets it from the central Pacific.
In NID, the winds are coming from N. Oregon and Washington, from waters on the Arctic boundary.
In SID, the winds are coming from S.Oregon and N.California, the Central Pacific.
Idaho Falls gets colder than C d'A, but not by much and not at all often. the 2 cities are typically only a fe2 degrees apart, much like I.F. is colder than Pocatello.
It's due too Idaho Falls' higher elevation, not the prevailing winds.
All this winter, NID has experienced a different winter than SID due to the winds. Both have benefited from the warmer off-water winds, but the snow in NID came from the N. Pacific, which has combined and fed the huge Arctic flow that brought the bitter cold to most of the nation.
SID hasn't gotten any of those winds very much, so we haven't gotten the snow down here that C d'A got until just the past few days.
Elevation always rules the warmth of a location here. The higher, the colder. Colorado is just the same.
Denver lies east of the Rockies so gets those big Canadian cold air masses a lot more often than west of the Rockies. So the average temps may be similar but the severe cold incidents look to be less in ID. (That severe cold is a big deal in Montana and Wyoming too.) IDK how you look that up, unless it is in the winter low to summer high temperature spread. That temp spread in No ID, at Rathdrum, is 59 degrees, Denver is 71 degrees spread, and Bismarck SD (which is right in the middle of that cold Canadian air flow) is 81 degrees spread!
As well noted, the sunniness factor is big in favor of Denver. NoID stats for sunny days show about 2 months fewer sunny days per year than Denver. SoID is around average for the USA, with around a month fewer sunny days per year than Denver. I suspect this is due to Colorado being a transition area down to the desert SW. The vegetation in the high mountains is of a drier/scrubbier type, adapted for drier weather versus that in ID/WY/MT.
Denver lies east of the Rockies so gets those big Canadian cold air masses a lot more often than west of the Rockies. So the average temps may be similar but the severe cold incidents look to be less in ID. (That severe cold is a big deal in Montana and Wyoming too.) IDK how you look that up, unless it is in the winter low to summer high temperature spread. That temp spread in No ID, at Rathdrum, is 59 degrees, Denver is 71 degrees spread, and Bismarck SD (which is right in the middle of that cold Canadian air flow) is 81 degrees spread!
As well noted, the sunniness factor is big in favor of Denver. NoID stats for sunny days show about 2 months fewer sunny days per year than Denver. SoID is around average for the USA, with around a month fewer sunny days per year than Denver. I suspect this is due to Colorado being a transition area down to the desert SW. The vegetation in the high mountains is of a drier/scrubbier type, adapted for drier weather versus that in ID/WY/MT.
As I posted earlier, Denver has extreme changes in temp most of the year. It can be 65 in January for a day and be 25 the day after. Idaho has more consistency in temps.
Great info I didn't realize the difference between temp swings. Any towns in Idaho that you all would consider to have better weather overall than Denver?
Great info I didn't realize the difference between temp swings. Any towns in Idaho that you all would consider to have better weather overall than Denver?
What's 'better'? I think that would be a matter of personal preference, and no one could answer it for you.
I'm not in this one; I've only been to Denver a couple of times, and that was years ago. In my brief time there, the weather was very similar to what it is here.
Great info I didn't realize the difference between temp swings. Any towns in Idaho that you all would consider to have better weather overall than Denver?
SW Idaho, the Boise area doesn't get the temp swings like Denver. SE Idaho is more apt to experience the extreme cold, such as below zero. This is rare in the Treasure Valley.
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