Colstrip, MT Climate

Climate Insight: Colstrip, MT

The NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals describe Colstrip, Montana as a location with an annual average temperature of 46°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 58°F to a mean daily low of 34°F. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. These thirty-year averages, computed from station USC00241905, smooth out year-to-year variability and give a baseline expectation for typical conditions in any given month.

Beyond temperature, Colstrip averages 16.4 inches of precipitation annually, with 36.6 inches typically falling as snow - a real factor for anyone planning to live, garden, or travel here. The frost-free season averages 138 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near May 15 and the first fall freeze near September 30. Turning to energy use, 7,369 heating degree days and 510 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.

On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Colstrip scores 49/100 (Moderate), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. The monthly tables above turn that into a planning tool: expect the mildest highs and lows in the shoulder seasons, July-driven heat at the peak of summer, and January-driven cold at the depth of winter. Every number here is a thirty-year average, not a forecast, so any given year can and does run warmer, cooler, wetter, or drier than the normal.