Climate Comfort Score
64/100
Good
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 47°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Bigfork, MT Climate
Temperature, precipitation, and comfort score from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →
- 47°F
- Avg annual temp
- 64/100
- Comfort score
- 21.4"
- Annual precip
- 167d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Bigfork
Bigfork, Montana averages 47°F a year and scores 64/100 on the comfort index - good, milder than 51% of U.S. cities.
- 47°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 64/100
- comfort score, milder than 51% of U.S. cities
- 21.4"
- annual precipitation
- 167 days
- frost-free growing season
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
47°F (8°C)
Avg High
55°F
Avg Low
39°F
Annual Precip
21.4"
Comfort Score
64/100
Good
Avg Annual Temperature
47°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
21.4"
Liquid-equivalent total
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Bigfork) 64.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Good for the Bigfork area.
How Bigfork compares to every U.S. city
Bigfork's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
64 Top 49% higher than 51% of 6,915 US cities
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Warming context for Bigfork
MethodologyHow the U.S. land temperature anomaly tracks against the global mean since 1900. The current NOAA 1991-2020 normal for Bigfork captures average conditions across the spread shown, the most recent decade is warmer than the 30-year mean.
- United States land mean (NOAA NCEI) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34°F (1°C) | 25°F (-4°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 1.7" | 24.6 | 0.0 |
| February | 37°F (3°C) | 26°F (-4°C) | 31°F (0°C) | 1.0" | 23.6 | 0.0 |
| March | 45°F (7°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 1.3" | 20.1 | 0.0 |
| April | 53°F (12°C) | 35°F (2°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 1.8" | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| May | 63°F (17°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 2.5" | 1.3 | 0.0 |
| June | 70°F (21°C) | 49°F (10°C) | 60°F (15°C) | 3.2" | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| July | 80°F (27°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 1.3" | 0.1 | 2.8 |
| August | 79°F (26°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 67°F (19°C) | 1.1" | 0.0 | 1.6 |
| September | 69°F (21°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 58°F (15°C) | 1.7" | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| October | 55°F (13°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 2.4" | 5.7 | 0.0 |
| November | 42°F (5°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 1.7" | 17.0 | 0.0 |
| December | 34°F (1°C) | 26°F (-3°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 1.6" | 25.0 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall
January 1.7"
9.9 days with precipitation
February 1.0"
7.6 days with precipitation
March 1.3"
8.5 days with precipitation
April 1.8"
8.9 days with precipitation
May 2.5"
9.6 days with precipitation
June 3.2"
11.1 days with precipitation
July 1.3"
5.7 days with precipitation
August 1.1"
5.2 days with precipitation
September 1.7"
6.2 days with precipitation
October 2.4"
8.3 days with precipitation
November 1.7"
9.6 days with precipitation
December 1.6"
9.7 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 15
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 1
50% probability date
Growing Season
167 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
6,877
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
249
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
What Bigfork's climate means for you
Bigfork runs 47°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 167 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near May 1 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 6,877 heating and 249 cooling degree days a year, higher means the furnace or AC runs more.
- Comparing places to live? Line this city up against nearby cities and the national rankings. See rankings
These are 30-year NOAA normals (1991–2020) - the typical year, not a forecast for any specific season.
Climate Guides
Climate Insight: Bigfork, MT
In Bigfork, Montana, the NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals put the annual average temperature at 47°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 55°F to a mean daily low of 39°F. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. As thirty-year averages computed from station USC00240755, these numbers smooth out year-to-year noise into a working baseline for a typical month.
Anyone planning to live, garden, or travel in Bigfork should weigh precipitation alongside temperature: the annual average runs 21.4 inches, predominantly as rainfall. The frost-free season averages 167 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near May 1 and the first fall freeze near October 15. And on the energy front, 6,877 heating degree days and 249 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Bigfork scores 64/100 (Good), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. The monthly tables above are the practical planning tool: mild highs and lows land in the shoulder seasons, July-driven heat peaks in summer, and January-driven cold sets in over deep winter. These are thirty-year averages, not a forecast - any single year can run warmer, wetter, drier, or cooler than the normal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Bigfork, MT? ▼
The average annual temperature in Bigfork, Montana is 47°F. The warmest month averages 80°F (27°C) and the coldest averages 25°F (-4°C).
How much rain does Bigfork get? ▼
Bigfork receives 21.4 inches of precipitation annually. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Bigfork? ▼
Bigfork has a climate comfort score of 64/100 (Good), milder than 51% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Bigfork? ▼
Bigfork has approximately 167 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around May 1 and the first fall freeze around October 15.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Bigfork? ▼
Bigfork has 6,877 heating degree days and 249 cooling degree days annually, a heating-dominated climate. See our <a href="/guides/reading-weather-data/" class="underline hover:text-brand-600">guide to reading weather data</a> for what these figures mean.
Where does this Bigfork climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00240755 near Bigfork.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00240755. For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate Editorial
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.