What is Winter Like in North Idaho?
Winter in North Idaho can be very beautiful.
Despite the poor road conditions and cold temperatures, winter in the inland northwest can be very beautiful.
Here are more than 20 of my favorite photos from winter in Bonner County Idaho.
Come middle to end of October you won’t need to wait long before the snow flies, and temperatures start dropping below freezing.
I am sharing the photos in this post to inspire you to get outdoors. Pick up a camera, grab your boots, put some coffee in the thermos and head outside.
I don’t remember many winter sunrises as beautiful as this one. With a fresh coating of snow, and temperatures in the single digits, the sun was brilliant as it rose above the mountains. The location is Freeman Lake Road, just north of Oldtown Idaho.
Winter Photography Tip: When the temperatures drop below freezing and into the single digits, it makes photography outside so much more difficult. Keep extra batteries in your pockets to keep them warm. This will help them eek out as much life as possible in the freezing temperatures.
Even the chickens get a cozy place to live here in Oldtown, Idaho. This photo taken in March, shows the results of a late winter snowstorm. The sight of snow on the pine trees set in front of brilliant blue sky never gets old!
Nature Fact: The tall tree in this photo is a Ponderosa Pine. It is a very large pine tree species that is native to mountainous regions of western North America (which includes Idaho). The The oldest known Ponderosa Pines are more than 700 years old!
The snow often falls gently in North Idaho compared to the more open Midwestern states like Minnesota and North Dakota. There the snow drifts and blows with the wind. But here in Idaho, in the shelter of the trees and mountains, the snow often floats down softly leaving mounds of beautiful powder.
This one is just a mile or two from the border of Idaho and snuck it’s way into this photo roundup.
Life in rural Idaho means you’ll quickly get used to winter driving. Keeping your speeds down and using a bit of extra caution goes a long way in keep you and other safe on the roads. You’ll probably discover that a truck with 4×4 is pretty close to a must-have when living in North Idaho.
Landscape photography in Idaho is a dream. There are so many photography locations just outside the backdoor for those of us living in Sandpoint, Priest River, and Couer d’Alene. The camera above is my Mamiya C220 TLR with the waist level viewfinder. It’s a picture in a picture of the Priest River at the McAbee Falls Dam just north of Priest River, Idaho.
Again, a photo of the view of Bead Lake road just inside the Washington border.
Marshall Lake, Washington (Google Map here) is just over a mile from the border of Idaho as the crow flies. It is a beautiful lake set down in between the mountains. It is one of my favorite photo locations near Newport Washington. This photo was taken on the small dirt road that winds up to the lake.
The Priest River flows south between Priest Lake, and the town of Priest River along highway 2. There it dumps into the Pend Oreille River which turns north and flows into Canada. Along the way, the Priest River has several small rapids, including this one at the McAbee Falls bridge.
I love the really cold mornings when the sun is shining. Any breath instantly turns to fog and the snow squeaks under your boots. After plowing out my driveway I took the truck and drove the back roads near my house.
The Peninsula Valley north of Priest River, is one of the prettiest drives in North Idaho. This field is across from the McAbee Falls Bridge. To get here from Priest River: Take a right on Highway 57 from Hwy 2 in Priest River and drive for 3.5 miles. Take a right on Peninsula Road and drive for another 4.7 miles. You will arrive at a small bridge over the river. There is room to park just past the bridge on the side of the road. (Google Maps Directions here)
This cozy house is tucked in the tall pine trees along the Pend Oreille River. Winter might not be for everyone, but when you’re surrounded in a landscape like this it’s hard not to enjoy it!
Fun Fact: The Pend Oreille River is one of the few rivers in the United States that flows north. It comes from Lake Pend Oreille in Sandpoint and flows north to Lake Kootenay in British Columbia.
Have you really experienced North Idaho until you’ve ridden the lifts to the summit at Schweitzer Mountain in Sandpoint? Schweitzer is the perfect place to experience winter in Bonner County Idaho. The photo above shows a brilliant view above the clouds on a bright winter morning. Skiing and snowboarding at Schweitzer is one of the biggest winter attractions in North Idaho. (Schweitzer website here)
I took this photo just a few days before Christmas in Priest River, Idaho. One of the beautiful things about the rivers in Idaho is how they change with the seasons. Because the water temperature is a little warmer than the air, the fog often hangs around until the sun rises and burns it off.
The Pend Oreille River in Oldtown Idaho is a beautiful sight for the local commuters. This photo shows Kelly island, or as it’s known locally to some, “Boyscout Island” at sunset. This view is easy to access from the river bank below Le Clerc Road less than a mile north from Highway 2 in Oltdown Idaho. You can park your car at the public boat launch on the Pend Oreille River on the south side of Highway 2 in Oldtown, then walk north along the river bank.
This photo is looking up on one of my favorite blue runs at Schweitzer Mountain Resort (link here). This is Little Blue Ridge Run that begins from the top of the Idyle Our T-Bar on the backside of the mountain. It is one of the longest blue’s on the mountain. I can’t help but smile when racing down the groomer, looking at the beautiful scenery fly past.
The cold temperatures and deep snow push the native Elk populations down into the valleys during the winter. Keep an eye out for elk herds when you’re driving around. They are often moving at sunrise, and you’ll have a chance to see them then. This small bull was hanging around with a group of about 8 or 9 cows in our backyard!
Peninsula Valley Priest River, Idaho
When the sun goes down: the shadows turn blue, and the mountains turn pink. Light like this only last for a few minutes it seems, and then night comes and a total stillness falls. I love how the two Aspen trees in the center of this photo are catching the last light from the sun!
You can buy this photo from me at Stocksy.
Finding a deer shed as the snow begins to melt in the spring is one of the most rewarding things. I think everyone who lives in North Idaho has the same urge every spring to get back out into the mountains after a long winter. It’s too early for the morels, but just in time to start hunting for sheds. Here is a small 4-point I found near Priest River, Idaho.
Freeman Lake Road, Oldtown, Idaho
Hearing the scraping of the snow plows as they throw the fresh snow off the roads is something every North Idaho resident can relate to. Winter doesn’t stop them, and for some I think it actually gets them going. This photo was taken near Oldtown, Idaho.
Freeman Lake, Idaho is one of the many little gems tucked into the Idaho panhandle. By January this lake is frozen over and tucked in for winter. The logging roads that lead to Stone Johnny mountain are covered in snow and the last light of the day is hitting the peaks.
Pend Oreille River in Oldtown, Idaho. On the coldest of days everything feels crisp: the snow, the light, and the air. It was definitely true when I took this photo just after the sun set behind Newport, Washington on the border of Idaho. Just a few days before, ice was covering this portion of the Pend Oreille River.
Idaho has some of the most beautiful rural roads in the country. This photo was taken north of Oldtown, Idaho just inside the border of Washington.
Photography Tip: Light is the element that makes or breaks a photo. When you're out shooting winter landscapes, leave early and stay late. This will ensure you catch the sunlight when it's rising and setting leaving you with golden highlights in your photos.
What Do You Like About Winter In Idaho?
There is so much more to explore in North Idaho. I hope this post inspired you to get outside and experience the best of what winter has to offer!
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