Highwood, Montana climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Highwood's normal year runs from 17°F January nights to 85°F July afternoons, with 15.1 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 8.2°C, January lows of −8°C, July highs of 30°C, 384 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationHighwood (7 mi NE)
- Station IDUSC00244133
- Location47.64°N 110.67°W
- Elevation3,600 ft (1,097 m)
- Population (census place)209
On October 22, the normal high in Highwood is 55°F and the normal low 33°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 11%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Highwood.
- Jan 37° 17°
- Feb 37° 18°
- Mar 47° 25°
- Apr 58° 33°
- May 66° 42°
- Jun 75° 49°
- Jul 85° 55°
- Aug 84° 55°
- Sep 73° 46°
- Oct 58° 35°
- Nov 46° 26°
- Dec 36° 18°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Highwood each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 85°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 17°F. The most precipitation falls in June (3.04 in), the least in February (0.46 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37°F | 17°F | 26.9°F | 0.58 | 5 | <1 | 25 | 8 h 50 min |
| February | 37°F | 18°F | 27.4°F | 0.46 | 5 | <1 | 23 | 10 h 10 min |
| March | 47°F | 25°F | 36.1°F | 0.56 | 4 | <1 | 22 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 58°F | 33°F | 45.3°F | 1.48 | 6 | <1 | 12 | 13 h 30 min |
| May | 66°F | 42°F | 54.1°F | 2.50 | 7 | <1 | 3 | 15 h 10 min |
| June | 75°F | 49°F | 61.8°F | 3.04 | 9 | 2 | <1 | 16 h |
| July | 85°F | 55°F | 70.0°F | 1.68 | 5 | 11 | <1 | 15 h 40 min |
| August | 84°F | 55°F | 69.4°F | 1.20 | 5 | 10 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| September | 73°F | 46°F | 59.6°F | 1.47 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 58°F | 35°F | 46.8°F | 1.00 | 4 | <1 | 10 | 11 h |
| November | 46°F | 26°F | 35.9°F | 0.64 | 3 | <1 | 19 | 9 h 20 min |
| December | 36°F | 18°F | 27.3°F | 0.50 | 3 | <1 | 26 | 8 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 59°F | 35°F | 46.7°F | 15.11 | 60 | 24 | 141 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3°C | −8°C | −2.8°C | 15 mm |
| February | 3°C | −8°C | −2.6°C | 12 mm |
| March | 8°C | −4°C | 2.3°C | 14 mm |
| April | 14°C | 0°C | 7.4°C | 38 mm |
| May | 19°C | 6°C | 12.3°C | 64 mm |
| June | 24°C | 9°C | 16.6°C | 77 mm |
| July | 30°C | 13°C | 21.1°C | 43 mm |
| August | 29°C | 13°C | 20.8°C | 30 mm |
| September | 23°C | 8°C | 15.3°C | 37 mm |
| October | 15°C | 2°C | 8.2°C | 25 mm |
| November | 8°C | −3°C | 2.2°C | 16 mm |
| December | 2°C | −8°C | −2.6°C | 13 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Fort Benton (13 miles away), gets 38 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00244133; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit Highwood?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, August and September. Of those, August has the fewest days with rain (5).
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00244133.
When is the last frost in Highwood?
In Highwood, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 7 in half of years and after May 21 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 2 in half of years and before September 19 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- May 71 year in 10 after May 21; 9 in 10 after April 24
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 21 year in 10 before September 19; 9 in 10 before October 19
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 149 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 174 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 24 in half of springs and before October 15 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Highwood in zone 4b in ZIP code 59450, the nearest ZIP area.
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Montana · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USC00244133; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
How hot and how cold does it get in Highwood?
In a normal year in Highwood, 24 days a year reach 90°F (1 of them 100°F or more), 141 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 60 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 24a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 141a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 43high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 60a normal year
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00244133.
How sunny is Highwood?
Over a year 76% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Highwood, 4.0 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (87%) and December the cloudiest (66%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 71% | 1.5 |
| February | 73% | 2.5 |
| March | 71% | 3.6 |
| April | 69% | 4.8 |
| May | 71% | 5.8 |
| June | 76% | 6.6 |
| July | 87% | 7.2 |
| August | 85% | 5.9 |
| September | 78% | 4.3 |
| October | 72% | 2.7 |
| November | 68% | 1.6 |
| December | 66% | 1.2 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does Highwood need?
A normal year in Highwood brings 7,085 heating degree days, 32% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 442 cooling degree days, 51% fewer than the median (908). Eight months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 2,245 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,183 | 0 |
| February | 1,054 | 0 |
| March | 898 | 0 |
| April | 591 | 0 |
| May | 347 | 7 |
| June | 128 | 31 |
| July | 25 | 179 |
| August | 40 | 175 |
| September | 207 | 44 |
| October | 570 | 6 |
| November | 873 | 0 |
| December | 1,170 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 7,085 | 442 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00244133. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
Has Highwood been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 47.0°F, 0.3°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 46.7°F. 3 of the 3 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 48.1°F | +1.4°F | 9.34 |
| 2024 | 48.0°F | +1.3°F | 17.35 |
| 2025 | 47.0°F | +0.3°F | 11.21 |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00244133. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Highwood's climate compare?
Highwood is warmer than 124 of the other 140 places with their own NOAA record in Montana, and wetter than 75. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 46.7°F is warmer than 26%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Highwood is BSk: cold semi-arid steppe. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Questions about Highwood's climate
What is the coldest month in Highwood?
January, with a normal high of 37°F and a normal low of 17°F. The warmest is July (85°F by day, 55°F at night).
Does it snow in Highwood?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Highwood's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Fort Benton (13 miles away), records 38 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Highwood?
June, with 3.04 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 0.46 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Highwood in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Highwood in zone 4b in ZIP code 59450, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Highwood?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 7; in one year in ten it comes after May 21. Waiting until May 21 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Montana climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Shonkin (7 mi S), MT9 miles from this station, 44.1°F a year
- Fort Benton, MT13 miles from this station, 45.4°F a year
- Geraldine, MT19 miles from this station, 46.8°F a year
- Loma, MT22 miles from this station, 44.8°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made