Quick Links: Weather Forecast Current Conditions

Marmots spend a large part of each year in a state of deep slumber. During both the blistering summer heat and bitter cold of winter, they lie curled in rocky burrows, their metabolism, heartbeat, and breathing at a virtual standstill. They thereby avoid the extremes of weather and climate which prevail at Craters of the Moon. By conserving energy in winter and water in summer, they ensure their own survival. Visitors to Craters of the Moon must be prepared for the same extremes. The intense summer sun bakes the black lava, generating surface temperatures of 150°F and air temperatures in the 90s. Winds are a daily occurrence, especially in the afternoon, and may reach more than 20 miles per hour. Fall and spring are milder, with unsettled weather. If you can, plan to visit in late May or June, when delicate flowers burst to life against the black backdrop of the cinder slopes: pink monkeyflowers, yellow dwarf buckwheats, white bitterroots, and many others. Winter transforms the Craters of the Moon landscape into a strange juxtaposition of rugged black and soft white. The National Park Service grooms the Loop Drive for cross-country skiing when snow conditions permit, offering those on skis or snowshoes a way to experience the solitude and silence of the lava fields. The figures in the table at below represent long-term averages. Click on this link for a more complete climate summary.

	Average high temperature (°F)	Average low temperature (°F)	Average precipitation (inches)	Average snowfall (inches)	Average snow pack (inches)
January	29	10	2.6	21.0	30.2
Febuary	35	16	1.7	22.5	34.1
March	41	21	1.2	6.8	31.0
April	54	28	1.0	3.2	14.6
May	63	37	1.6	2.6	2.2
June	73	47	1.8	0.0	0.0
July	84	51	0.5	0.0	0.0
August	80	45	0.8	0.0	0.0
September	71	41	1.0	0.4	0.0
October	61	31	0.8	1.0	0.1
November	39	22	1.5	7.0	5.0
December	31	12	2.0	15.0	17.0