Challis, Idaho Weather
Challis, Idaho — live current conditions, hourly and 7-day forecasts, NWS alerts, radar and satellite imagery, soil and crop conditions for Challis, Custer County.
Full aviation weather for Challis is published on the Challis Airport (KLLJ) page, 2 km away. It carries the current METAR decoded into plain language — surface wind, visibility, cloud layers and ceiling, temperature and dewpoint, and altimeter setting — alongside the raw observation as transmitted. 3 airfields within reach of Challis have their own pages, listed below.
The Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) is shown across its full validity period, with each change group broken out so you can see when conditions are expected to shift. Flight category is derived automatically — VFR, MVFR, IFR or LIFR — from reported ceiling and visibility, with runway details and field elevation alongside. Observations update roughly hourly and forecasts several times a day.
Other airports near Challis: May Airport (K0U8) 29 km · Lower Loon Creek Airport (KC53) 57 km
Conditions reported at KLLJ describe the airfield itself. Weather 2 km away can differ, particularly in terrain or near the coast. For conditions at Challis specifically, see the current conditions and forecast above.
Soil conditions, frost risk and crop weather for Challis.
About Challis, Idaho
Challis rests in a broad valley, a sun-drenched expanse where the Salmon River, a ribbon of glacial blue, winds its way through a landscape carved by ancient forces. It lies 115.6 miles east-north-east of Boise, ID (from Boise, ID: bearing 57°T), and is situated 49.2 miles south-south-west of Salmon. Jagged peaks, their summits often dusted with snow even into early summer, guard the horizon, their slopes a mosaic of sagebrush, pine, and the stark beauty of exposed rock. The air here carries the clean, sharp scent of high desert and the distant whisper of wind through the grasses, a constant reminder of the vastness surrounding this Custer County seat. In the evenings, the light softens, painting the mountains in hues of lavender and rose, a quiet spectacle that washes over the small clusters of homes and businesses. This valley floor has long been a crossroads, first for indigenous peoples, then for prospectors drawn by the glint of gold and silver in the surrounding hills. The economy of Challis still echoes this heritage, with ranching and agriculture holding firm alongside the enduring allure of the outdoors, drawing visitors to fish its famed river and hike its wild trails. The landscape itself, a dramatic interplay of arid plains and alpine grandeur, holds the stories of boom and bust, of hardy pioneers and the enduring spirit of those who have chosen to make their lives in this striking corner of Idaho. The rhythm of Challis is that of the seasons, a steady beat dictated by the sun and the snow, the planting and the harvest.
Live animated radar for Challis and surroundings — RainViewer.
NOAA GOES-16 GEOCOLOR — live animated loop updated every 10 minutes. Shows cloud cover, storm systems and weather patterns across the continental US.
Source: NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East · Public domain · Auto-updates on page reload
| Location | Challis, Custer County, Idaho |
| Coordinates | 44.504644°N, 114.231731°W |
| Timezone | Mountain Time (America/Boise) |
| ZIP Code(s) | 83226 |
| Area Code | 208 |
| Page generated | September 2026 |
| Weather data | Open-Meteo (open-source), NOAA National Weather Service |
About This Challis, Idaho Weather Page
This page provides live weather conditions and forecasts for Challis, Idaho, including current conditions, a 24-hour hourly forecast, 7-day outlook, NWS extended text forecast, precipitation radar and NOAA GOES-16 satellite imagery. Aviation weather — live METAR observations and TAF forecasts — is published separately on the pages for the nearest reporting airports, linked from the aviation section above. Additional sections may include tide predictions, wave height, wave direction and sea-surface temperature, a barometric pressure trend, and a solunar-based fishing forecast with a fishing-conditions rating for coastal localities, and soil temperature, crop weather and live USGS river gauge data for agricultural areas near a monitored waterway. All data updates automatically on every page visit.
Location data for Challis includes coordinates 44.504644°N, 114.231731°W, situated in Custer County. ZIP code 83226. Telephone area code: 208. Timezone: Mountain Time (America/Boise).
Weather data is sourced from the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) and the open-source Open-Meteo API. River and stream data is sourced from the USGS National Water Information System. Tide predictions are sourced from NOAA CO-OPS; marine and solunar data are modeled from Open-Meteo and public sunrise/moon calculations and should be treated as a general guide alongside on-the-water conditions. Radar is provided by RainViewer. Satellite imagery is sourced from NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East and is public domain.
