Climate Comfort Score
44/100
Moderate
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 44°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Fairfield, MT Climate
Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: average temperature, precipitation, and comfort score
- 44°F
- Avg annual temp
- 44/100
- Comfort score
- 12.4"
- Annual precip
- 137d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Fairfield
Fairfield, Montana averages 44°F a year and scores 44/100 on the comfort index - moderate, milder than 8% of U.S. cities.
- 44°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 44/100
- comfort score, milder than 8% of U.S. cities
- 12.4"
- annual precipitation
- 137 days
- growing season, frost-free days
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
44°F (7°C)
Avg High
55°F
Avg Low
34°F
Annual Precip
12.4"
Comfort Score
44/100
Moderate
Avg Annual Temperature
44°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
12.4"
Liquid-equivalent total
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Fairfield) 44.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Moderate for the Fairfield area.
How Fairfield compares to every U.S. city
Fairfield's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
44 Top 92% higher than 8% 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 Fairfield
MethodologyFairfield's NOAA 1991-2020 normal sits inside a longer story: U.S. land temperatures have been tracking (and drifting from) the global mean since 1900, and the chart below shows that spread, with the most recent decade running 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 | 36°F (2°C) | 17°F (-9°C) | 26°F (-3°C) | 0.3" | 26.6 | 0.0 |
| February | 36°F (2°C) | 17°F (-8°C) | 27°F (-3°C) | 0.4" | 24.8 | 0.0 |
| March | 45°F (7°C) | 24°F (-5°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 0.6" | 24.1 | 0.0 |
| April | 53°F (12°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 42°F (6°C) | 1.4" | 15.8 | 0.0 |
| May | 62°F (17°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 2.1" | 4.1 | 0.0 |
| June | 70°F (21°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 2.6" | 0.3 | 0.3 |
| July | 80°F (27°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 67°F (19°C) | 1.1" | 0.0 | 4.2 |
| August | 79°F (26°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 1.1" | 0.1 | 3.4 |
| September | 69°F (20°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 1.2" | 1.7 | 0.5 |
| October | 55°F (13°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 0.7" | 13.0 | 0.0 |
| November | 43°F (6°C) | 25°F (-4°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 0.5" | 22.2 | 0.0 |
| December | 35°F (2°C) | 18°F (-8°C) | 27°F (-3°C) | 0.3" | 27.1 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall
January 0.3"
4.4 days with precipitation
February 0.4"
4.9 days with precipitation
March 0.6"
5.6 days with precipitation
April 1.4"
7.1 days with precipitation
May 2.1"
8.0 days with precipitation
June 2.6"
9.4 days with precipitation
July 1.1"
5.8 days with precipitation
August 1.1"
5.7 days with precipitation
September 1.2"
5.5 days with precipitation
October 0.7"
4.3 days with precipitation
November 0.5"
4.2 days with precipitation
December 0.3"
4.1 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
September 27
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 13
50% probability date
Growing Season
137 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
7,742
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
256
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
What Fairfield's climate means for you
Fairfield runs 44°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 137 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near May 13 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 7,742 heating and 256 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: Fairfield, MT
Fairfield, Montana runs an annual average of 44°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 55°F to a mean daily low of 34°F, per NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. Drawn from station USC00242857, these thirty-year averages smooth out year-to-year swings into a baseline for what a typical month looks like here.
Precipitation patterns matter as much as temperature for anyone planning to live, garden, or travel here. Fairfield receives roughly 12.4 inches of precipitation each year, predominantly as rainfall. The frost-free season averages 137 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near May 13 and the first fall freeze near September 27. For energy use, 7,742 heating degree days and 256 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Fairfield scores 44/100 (Moderate), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. Use the monthly tables above to plan around specific windows, shoulder seasons for mild highs and lows, peak summer for July-driven heat, or deep winter for January-driven cold. All figures here are thirty-year averages: any single year may run warmer, wetter, drier, or cooler than the normal, so treat them as planning guidance rather than forecasts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Fairfield, MT? ▼
The average annual temperature in Fairfield, Montana is 44°F. The warmest month averages 80°F (27°C) and the coldest averages 17°F (-9°C).
How much rain does Fairfield get? ▼
Fairfield receives 12.4 inches of precipitation annually. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Fairfield? ▼
Fairfield has a climate comfort score of 44/100 (Moderate), milder than 8% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Fairfield? ▼
Fairfield has approximately 137 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around May 13 and the first fall freeze around September 27.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Fairfield? ▼
Fairfield has 7,742 heating degree days and 256 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 Fairfield climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00242857 near Fairfield.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00242857. 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.