Goldbutte, MT Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Explore NOAA NCEI's 1991–2020 climate normals → and a clearly labeled PlainClimate comfort calculation
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Goldbutte's primary NOAA station, GOLDBUTTE 7 N.
The climate verdict for Goldbutte
Dryness leads the climate profile for Goldbutte, Montana, with 14.8 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 42°F. At 35/100 (below average) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 4% of scores.
- 42°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 35/100
- comfort score, above 4% of station-mapped location scores
- 14.8"
- annual precipitation · 86" snow
Goldbutte: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USC00243617 · Goldbutte, MT 42°F mean · 14.8" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-COOL · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-DRY · SWING-MID · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 42°F
- RANK-COOL #617
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Whitefish Point
- PRCP-DRY 14.8"
- SWING-MID 43°F
- COMF-LOW 35/100
- LOAD-HEAT 8,628 HDD
- STN-1 USC00243617
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Whitefish Point, MI (+ 0 °F mean)
Instrument codes from this station's NOAA 1991–2020 normals, mean temperature, corpus warmth rank, photo-finish peer station, precipitation band, seasonal swing, comfort composite, degree-day load, and field book, not a livability rating.
Mean-temperature neighbourhood
Nationwide NOAA normal poles and nearest peers, not a reprint of every MT station list.
- Goldbutte (this station) 42°F
- Cold Greenland, MI 42°F
- Hot Whitefish Point, MI 42°F
- Near Monteview, ID 42°F
- Near Maybell, CO 42°F
Goldbutte sits in Montana, the #6 coldest U.S. state at 43.4°F statewide annual average - see all 50 coldest states ranked by NOAA normals
Climate Living Index · Goldbutte
Goldbutte: 12/100 · grade F
Goldbutte publishes 4 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 2 missing weights rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Goldbutte, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 35/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Precipitation balance | 14.8 in · 20.2 from 35 in | 28/100 · F |
| Annual temperature balance | 41.7°F · 25.8° from 67.5°F | 9/100 · F |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 210 calendar days | 9/100 · F |
| Snowfall burden | 85.9 inches/year | 4/100 · F |
Goldbutte · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Goldbutte's normals sit in a dry climate class: BSk
Precipitation is low relative to temperature but above true desert thresholds: cold semi-arid steppe (BSk). Class BSk is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: dry (arid or semi-arid), specifically cold semi-arid steppe.
- Köppen code
- BSk
- Group
- Dry (arid or semi-arid)
- Warmest month
- 63.9°F
- Coldest month
- 21.4°F
Source: official public datasets monthly normals (1991–2020) at the city’s primary station. This is a station classification, not a mapped regional consensus.
National standing · heating-led station
Where Goldbutte sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Goldbutte's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- Cooler than 91%
- Among 6,861 stations, Goldbutte sits in the cooler third of annual means.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 83%
- Goldbutte's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- 46th percentile swing
- Typical seasonal amplitude versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Goldbutte compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Goldbutte's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
35 4th percentile score exceeds 4% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). This entry sits in this band.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Above this entry.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Above this entry.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). Above this entry.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Above this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Above this entry.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). Above this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Goldbutte's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 76 complete annual observations from 1910 to 2015, GOLDBUTTE 7 N warmed at a fitted rate of 0.11°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Goldbutte primary station fitted change +0.11 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33°F (1°C) | 10°F (-12°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 0.5" | 12.4" | 28.1 | 0.0 |
| February | 35°F (2°C) | 11°F (-12°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 0.5" | 12.9" | 25.9 | 0.0 |
| March | 44°F (7°C) | 19°F (-7°C) | 31°F (0°C) | 0.6" | 15.1" | 26.5 | 0.0 |
| April | 55°F (13°C) | 27°F (-3°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 1.3" | 10.8" | 20.3 | 0.0 |
| May | 64°F (18°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 1.9" | 3.7" | 10.2 | 0.0 |
| June | 71°F (22°C) | 43°F (6°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 3.5" | 0.3" | 1.5 | 0.5 |
| July | 80°F (27°C) | 47°F (9°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 1.3" | 0.0" | 0.1 | 4.9 |
| August | 80°F (27°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 1.5" | 0.4" | 0.6 | 4.7 |
| September | 70°F (21°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 1.4" | 1.4" | 4.9 | 0.9 |
| October | 55°F (13°C) | 29°F (-2°C) | 42°F (6°C) | 1.2" | 5.2" | 17.9 | 0.0 |
| November | 42°F (6°C) | 19°F (-7°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 0.6" | 10.6" | 25.2 | 0.0 |
| December | 34°F (1°C) | 11°F (-12°C) | 22°F (-5°C) | 0.5" | 13.1" | 28.5 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Summer here tops out rather than builds: the warmest normal high is 83°F around July 29, short of 90°F on every date, while 210 dates carry a normal low at or below freezing, the coldest 9°F near January 1.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into May 5, then returns to freezing around October 9, covering 210 dates in all.
Derived from the normal daily minimum. This is a different measure from the 50%-probability frost dates shown elsewhere on this page, which come from NOAA’s frost product.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is June 11, when 38% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is December 5 at 19%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 89 wet dates a year.
The widest day
August 2 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 35°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Goldbutte.
Where Goldbutte Stands Nationally
Winters bite deep and often: the normal nightly low dips to freezing or below on around 210 nights a year, placing this among the most frost-prone tenth of ranked stations.
A drier-than-most normal water year — around 15 inches, below what four out of five ranked stations collect.
Goldbutte earns 2 nationally notable standings (outer quintiles) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations; only those extremes render.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 12.4"
6.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 12.9"
6.0 days with precipitation
Snow: 15.1"
6.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 10.8"
8.2 days with precipitation
Snow: 3.7"
9.4 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.3"
11.9 days with precipitation
6.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.4"
6.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.4"
6.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 5.2"
6.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 10.6"
6.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 13.1"
6.2 days with precipitation
Goldbutte runs a summer-peaked wet season
43% of Goldbutte's yearly precipitation falls in June, July and August alone, against the 25% an evenly spread year would give those three months. The wettest month is June at 3.5", on a 42.5°F seasonal spread. Warm-season convection and, across the Southwest, the North American monsoon produce this shape: rain arrives in short heavy bursts during the hottest part of the year rather than as long cool-season soaking.
- Wettest three months: June, May, August, taking 47% of the annual total between them.
- Driest month: January at 0.5".
- Winter share: 10% falls in December, January and February.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. A summer-peaked label means the June-August share reaches 35%; it describes timing across an average year, not any single season, and says nothing about how heavy an individual storm can be.
Goldbutte is dry, and what does fall arrives gently
Only about 89 days a year record measurable precipitation here, 24% of the calendar, and they carry 14.8" between them. At roughly 0.17 inches on an average wet day, this is not the damp drizzle of a marine climate; it is an arid record in which precipitation is both uncommon and light when it appears.
The wettest month by count is June at about 12 wet days; the driest is February at about 6.
A low per-event average in a dry record is a statement about typical days only. Arid regions can still take a large share of a year's total from a single convective storm, which a normal cannot show.
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year, not the extremes within it.
Winter brings real snow to Goldbutte
Goldbutte averages 85.9 inches of snowfall a year, with March the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 33 days that record measurable snow. That is depth accumulating on the ground, which is why it can exceed the annual precipitation figure: precipitation counts the liquid the snow melts down to, and fresh snow is mostly air.
- Annual snowfall: 85.9 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 33 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 58% of the year's precipitation.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. The ten-to-one ratio is a convention, not a measurement: real ratios vary with temperature, so treat the share as an order of magnitude rather than an exact split.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
N/A
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
N/A
50% probability date
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
8,628
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
146
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside MT closest to Goldbutte on two NOAA annual-normal axes (mean temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual mean temperature (42°F here).
- Bayfield, WI 42°F · 0.0°F off
- Castlewood, SD 42°F · 0.0°F off
- Chemult, OR 42°F · 0.0°F off
- Eagle Nest, NM 42°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (14.8" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Mccamey, TX 14.8" · 0.0" off
- Lingle, WY 14.8" · 0.0" off
- Torrington, WY 14.8" · 0.0" off
- Union, OR 14.8" · 0.1" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Goldbutte
heating led · dry · mid swing
Goldbutte's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 8,628 annual heating degree days against 146 for cooling. Its 42.5°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
A frost-free growing-season length is not available for Goldbutte. That missing field is kept separate from the observed temperature and precipitation record rather than filled from a regional estimate.
-
1. Goldbutte coldest normal
January
Averaging 21°F (-6°C), this month sits below freezing for the month as a whole, not merely overnight.
-
2. Goldbutte typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Goldbutte snow peak
March
Goldbutte averages 85.9 inches of snow a year, with March the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Goldbutte's climate
How much snow does Goldbutte get? ▼
How cold does Goldbutte get in winter? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Goldbutte? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Goldbutte's primary station: GOLDBUTTE 7 N (USC00243617). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The conservative exact name-and-state crosswalk finds no Census place match, so PlainClimate treats this as a station-mapped location and does not claim it is a municipality. No exact Gazetteer row for Goldbutte; facility counts that depend on place identity are therefore an upper bound, not a municipal census.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Goldbutte comes from its primary NOAA station record. No figure on this page is typed in by an editor - each value is rendered from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 1991–2020 normals.