If you're thinking about moving to Coeur d’Alene, you might be wondering what the winters are like, how cold it gets and how much snowfall there is. You'll find all four seasons in Coeur d’Alene. However, the weather and temperatures may not be as severe as you would expect.

So, how much snow does Coeur d’Alene Idaho get during the winter?

The City Of Coeur d'Alene's average snowfall is 42 inches of snow per year. The US national average is 28 inches of snow per year. It's surprising to most people how little snowfall Coeur d'Alene receives.

Now that you know how much snow Coeur d’Alene gets, learn more about the weather and what's it like to live in Coeur d’Alene during the winter time.

How much snow does Coeur d’Alene Idaho get?

How much snow does Coeur d’Alene Idaho get?

The image below from howmuchwillitsnow.com shows that Coeur d'Alene has received less than four feet of snow on average each year for the past six years.

Somewhat interesting is how few days there is snowfall. The blue squares represent the days of snow.

How much does Coeur d'Alene compared to other cities

When comparing Coeur d’Alene to other notable spots or even nearby Spokane, you can see that the snowfall is not extreme.  In many ways it's not as bad as you think it would be. 

How cold does it get in Coeur d'Alene

Coeur d’Alene offers plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation. But what happens when the snow starts to fall and the temperature starts to drop? How cold does it get in Coeur d'Alene? 

This is not Southern California or even Western Washington. It's going to get cold.  Things start to get cold in December, lasting until mid-March. Even though it can be sunny during the wintertime, it can have its moments of fogginess. 

Fortunately, winter in Coeur d'Alene gets cold, but it's still not too cold. It hits a winter low average in January at 24.5 degrees.

For comparison;

• Bozeman, MT hits 13.3 degrees.
• Denver CO, is 17.9 degrees.
• Boise, ID hits a January low of 23.7
• Bend, OR is 23.5 degrees

How bad is it driving in Coeur d'Alene during the winter

If you're relocating from somewhere else that doesn't have snow or it rarely snows... you might be concerned about driving in the snow.

The difference between places like Seattle or areas of California that rarely get snow, the city of Coeur d'Alene is prepared for it. They have the right equipment to plow the streets and make driving safe.

From the Coeur d’Alene city snow guide:

The City’s street system has grown from 140 miles of streets in 1990 to over 265 today. Due to limited resources, City crews must maintain a disciplined priority system. Keeping major streets open is the City’s key priority. By focusing first on major streets, emergency routes are maintained to keep essential services functioning after snowfalls that would otherwise paralyze the City.

Commencement of Snow Removal:

In accordance with the adopted Snow Plan, plowing does not typically commence unless there are 4 to 5 inches of snow accumulated on the roadway or 2 inches accumulated with forecasts of more snowfall. 

Citywide plowing completion goal:

The adopted Snow Plan sets the goal of completion of a citywide plowing operation after a major snowstorm, at no more than 40 hours.

Plowing Priorities:

The City’s Streets & Engineering Director and staff will direct snow removal and ice control operations to established priorities outlined in the adopted snow plan.  

1. Emergency routes
2. Major thoroughfares and dangerous hills and curves
3. Arterials 
4. Bus routes
5. Residential streets
6. Cul-de-sacs

How bad are winters in Coeur d’Alene?

Coeur d’Alene is in North Idaho. North is the keyword there. That means shorter days during the winter.

In 2022, the shortest day is December 21, with 8 hours, 25 minutes of daylight. So, that could easily mean you leave for work in the dark and get home in the dark.

But as for it being brutal, harsh and piles and mounds of snow, not the case. Coeur d’Alene isn't even much colder than other cities like I've mentioned.

Plus the great thing about visiting, or living in Coeur d’Alene during the winter is all the things to do.

Things to do in Coeur d’Alene during the winter

You could take a cruise to the North Pole.

This unique experience of the Coeur d’Alene North Pole Cruise is something children and adults will enjoy. On your journey to the North pole, and you'll get to see some of the most amazing sights and lights along the way.

When it's cold out you can enjoy ice skating at CDA On Ice.

An outside seasonal ice skating rink is made in McEuen park. It runs from the last weekend of October through January.

Go sledding on Cherry Hill

This 30 acre park is located at the intersection of Hazel Ave. and 15th St. The park is near a giant hillside that becomes a popular sledding destination when the snow starts falling.

Head up to Schweitzer Mountain

Schweitzer Mountain is a great place to go skiing and snowboarding in the winter. The mountain has almost 3,000 acres of skiable terrain, making it one of the largest ski resorts in the Northwest. Schweitzer also has a number of different runs for all levels of skiers and snowboarders, from beginner to expert. And if you're not up for skiing or snowboarding, there's also tubing, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing trails at Schweitzer Mountain.

OTHER SKI RESORTS NEAR COEUR d'ALENE

• 49 Degrees North Ski & Snowboard Resort
• Lookout Pass Ski & Recreation Area
• Mount Spokane Ski & Snowboard Park
• Silver Mountain Resort

Conclusion

So if you're curious about how much snow does Coeur d’Alene Idaho get or how bad the winter is because you're hoping to enjoy the outside. Rest assured, you can. 

Winters don't seem too bad if you take advantage of all the winter activities available!

3 Things You Should Do (Even In A Red-Hot Sellers Market)

Bonus Material: A Free Guide That Helps You Get Sell Ready (18 Home Preparation Tips)

How do you define a real estate investor? Someone with tons of money and skills, a pick up truck, maybe their own show on HGTV?

Or could it be a regular person you work with, someone in your family, your next door neighbor, a lifelong friend?

Can YOU be a real estate investor?

I’m going to show you how I did it (and how I’m still doing it). 

I want you to know that you don’t need a college degree, a six-figure income, a spouse or even a lot of money to get started.

It started in 2009, when I was 22. I bought a condo. By myself. 

I’ll give you the quick story since I wrote about it in more detail in an earlier version of this article.

I bought a condo in Mukilteo. I lived in it for 4 years. The value went down for 3 years then started creeping back up. I didn’t really care about the value because I had no plans to sell. 

Then in 2013, my husband and I bought a very modest home.

It was what we could afford. A little starter home in Lake Stevens. But it was bigger than the condo and it was comfortable. Move-in ready. We knew it would be a good rental once we saved up enough to buy another home.

We put 20% down. We didn’t have to but we wanted to keep the payment really low for maximum cash flow later on.  It was a very low purchase price but still, it was not easy coming up with 20% down. Lots of sacrificing and saving led up to that purchase.

The difference between the condo payment and the rent I got each month was about $150. Not much, but a good start! That helped us afford our new home and it helped us save for the next down payment.

Fast forward to 2015. We bought another home. 10% down.

It’s a good time to mention we didn’t qualify for all of these mortgages. We were able to use market rent as income (for the home we planned to move out of and then rent) even though the home we were living in wasn’t rented YET. We had to show a signed lease to our lender before closing in order to get our loan approved and funded.

The difference between the payment and the rent for the one we bought in 2013 was about $400. Oh, and we had raised the condo rent by this point in time. Total monthly rental income was about $600 by this point in time. Enough to help, for sure! Kept on saving for the next home.

In 2018, we bought another. 10% down.

Rent from the previous home was about $300 higher than our payment each month. At this point, our total rental income was about $900 per month. 

Each time we bought, the home got a little bigger, which worked well for us since our family has grown in this time. We moved into all of them as we bought, so we could get an owner-occupied interest rate and so we didn’t have to put 20% down. When you buy a home and immediately rent it, rather than move into it, you’ll get a higher interest rate and most of the time you’ll be required to put at least 20% down. Living in the homes at first creates some flexibility.

Note: We didn’t sell any of these homes along the way.

We didn’t use the equity in the homes as a down payment for the next.

We just never stopped saving.

Immediately after buying that condo in 2009, I was saving for the next home. Some months it was only $10 added to my savings account and some months I may have gone the wrong direction but I kept a close eye on that savings account balance. It was my down payment for the next home. 

In 2021, we bought a condo.

In Post Falls, ID. Diversifying a little with this one. And, didn’t move into it. We just had some extra money and wanted to do something smart with it. The rent is about $300 higher than the payment.

Before I had ever met him, my husband bought a couple of homes in Wisconsin.  We still own those as well and between all of these homes, our rental income is currently a little over $2000 per month. We can’t live off of that, but it covers a huge chunk of our monthly expenses.

Something else that is worth noting is how much equity we have earned in this amount of time. It’s hundreds of thousands of dollars, which represents options to me.

And the best part of the appreciation is that I’m not even paying these mortgages anymore. My tenants are.

BTW, they are all wonderful. They all pay below-market rent. I treat my tenants well because they enable me to do this.  I also encourage them to buy their own homes. It is so satisfying when they do!

Whether you have one rental property, or 7 like me, (or 100+): real estate investments will add to your monthly income, your net worth, and your future opportunities!!

I didn't even touch on tax benefits or principal paydown, but those are two other things that are working for you while you sleep.

Highlighting the key behaviors/mindsets for pulling this off:

1. Live below your means (to save for your down payments)
2. Buy a home that is below your means. Do not be pressured to max out your budget. Similarly, don’t be discouraged if your budget won’t allow for a home you’d really love. Whether it’s your dream home or not, you need to get in the game!!

What You Can Do Next:

1. Read the original article I wrote 4 years ago on this for more details: https://www.persingergroup.com/blog/be-a-real-estate-investor-too/

2. Contact me with any questions you have about getting started with real estate investing

3. Message us at m.me/persingergroup to get a FREE GUIDE -  8 Simple Money Hacks That Will Help You Get Ahead With Real Estate.

Just type "8" we'll know what you mean and send the guide.