Sandpoint

Geographical layout

This article could perhaps be more accurately titled East Bonner County. The region generally known as Sandpoint is actually a collection of small communities lining highways 2, 95 & 200, the largest of which being the actual Sandpoint. Excluding Sandpoint, they are the following:

Careywood

18 miles south of Sandpoint, Hwy 95.

Cocallala

12 miles south of Sandpoint, Hwy 95.

Westmond

10 miles south of Sandpoint, Hwy 95.

Dufort

8 miles south of Sandpoint, Hwy 95.

Algoma

6 miles south of Sandpoint, Hwy 95

Sagle

5 miles south of Sandpoint, Hwy 95

Ponderay

3 miles north of Sandpoint, sandwiched between Hwy 95/2 and Hwy 200.

Kootenai

4 miles north of Sandpoint, Hwy 200.

Sunnyside

6 miles east of Sandpoint, Hwy 200

Oden Bay

8 miles east of Sandpoint, Hwy 200.

Trestle Creek

14 miles east of Sandpoint, Hwy 200.

Hope

16 miles east of Sandpoint, Hwy 200.

East Hope

17 miles east of Sandpoint, Hwy 200

Beyond Hope

21 miles east of Sandpoint, Hwy 200

Dover

3 miles west of Sandpoint, Hwy 2.

Wrencoe

9 miles west of Sandpoint, Hwy 2

LaClede

14 miles west of Sandpoint, Hwy 2.

Climate

Located just north of the 48th parallel, Sandpoint's climate is unique in the region. Although found not far from the deserts of Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho is on the rainy side of the next mountain chain - the Rocky Mountains. Many climate maps show Sandpoint as arid or semi-arid but this is not accurate. With long, usually cold winters average temperatures are generally below freezing, and dip to -20F for a week or two in February and short, hot summers, 80-90F is the average, but be prepared for up to 100F for short periods Sandpoint resembles a hemiboreal or even boreal climate, similar to the southern interior of Alaska Fairbanks and the like, with milder winters.Winter lasts from late November to March, whereas summer weather doesn't hit until July and peaks in August. Spring April-June and autumn September-early November are generally rainy and cool.Storms are common - thunderstorms are the norm for hot summer afternoons and windstorms strike the most in spring.