Hinsdale, Montana climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Hinsdale's normal year runs from 6°F January nights to 84°F July afternoons, with 16.3 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 6.0°C, January lows of −15°C, July highs of 29°C, 415 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationHinsdale (4 mi SW)
- Station IDUSC00244180
- Location48.35°N 107.15°W
- Elevation2,805 ft (855 m)
- Population (census place)250
On October 22, the normal high in Hinsdale is 52°F and the normal low 30°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 15%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Hinsdale.
- Jan 26° 6°
- Feb 29° 9°
- Mar 41° 19°
- Apr 56° 30°
- May 67° 40°
- Jun 75° 49°
- Jul 84° 55°
- Aug 84° 54°
- Sep 72° 45°
- Oct 55° 32°
- Nov 40° 20°
- Dec 28° 9°
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 Hinsdale each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 84°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 6°F. The most precipitation falls in June (3.60 in), the least in February (0.36 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26°F | 6°F | 15.9°F | 0.52 | 6 | <1 | 30 | 8 h 40 min |
| February | 29°F | 9°F | 19.1°F | 0.36 | 4 | <1 | 27 | 10 h 10 min |
| March | 41°F | 19°F | 30.2°F | 0.77 | 6 | <1 | 27 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 56°F | 30°F | 42.8°F | 1.49 | 6 | <1 | 16 | 13 h 40 min |
| May | 67°F | 40°F | 53.5°F | 2.79 | 8 | <1 | 4 | 15 h 10 min |
| June | 75°F | 49°F | 62.2°F | 3.60 | 11 | 2 | <1 | 16 h |
| July | 84°F | 55°F | 69.6°F | 1.84 | 7 | 8 | <1 | 15 h 40 min |
| August | 84°F | 54°F | 69.1°F | 1.11 | 6 | 9 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| September | 72°F | 45°F | 58.2°F | 1.51 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 55°F | 32°F | 43.9°F | 1.25 | 5 | <1 | 15 | 11 h |
| November | 40°F | 20°F | 29.8°F | 0.60 | 5 | <1 | 27 | 9 h 20 min |
| December | 28°F | 9°F | 18.9°F | 0.49 | 5 | <1 | 30 | 8 h 20 min |
| Year (annual) | 55°F | 31°F | 42.8°F | 16.33 | 73 | 21 | 177 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −3°C | −15°C | −8.9°C | 13 mm |
| February | −2°C | −13°C | −7.2°C | 9 mm |
| March | 5°C | −7°C | −1.0°C | 20 mm |
| April | 13°C | −1°C | 6.0°C | 38 mm |
| May | 19°C | 4°C | 11.9°C | 71 mm |
| June | 24°C | 10°C | 16.8°C | 91 mm |
| July | 29°C | 13°C | 20.9°C | 47 mm |
| August | 29°C | 12°C | 20.6°C | 28 mm |
| September | 22°C | 7°C | 14.6°C | 38 mm |
| October | 13°C | 0°C | 6.6°C | 32 mm |
| November | 4°C | −7°C | −1.2°C | 15 mm |
| December | −2°C | −13°C | −7.3°C | 12 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station, and no record within 25 miles keeps one, so snow is left out here rather than estimated.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00244180; 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 Hinsdale?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, July, August and September. Of those, September 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 USC00244180.
When is the last frost in Hinsdale?
In Hinsdale, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 15 in half of years and after May 30 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 26 in half of years and before September 12 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 151 year in 10 after May 30; 9 in 10 after May 3
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 261 year in 10 before September 12; 9 in 10 before October 10
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 132 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 152 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 5 in half of springs and before October 4 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Hinsdale in zone 3b in ZIP code 59241, 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 USC00244180; 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 Hinsdale?
In a normal year in Hinsdale, 21 days a year reach 90°F (2 of them 100°F or more), 177 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 73 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 21a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 2a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 177a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 73high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 73a normal year
The highest temperature in this station's record (since 1971) is 109°F, on July 19, 2021; the lowest is −37°F, on January 14, 2024.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 1974, with 21.40 in; the snowiest season is 2017–18, with 82.1 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00244180; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), station USC00244180. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How sunny is Hinsdale?
Over a year 78% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Hinsdale, 4.0 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (86%) and December the cloudiest (68%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 75% | 1.5 |
| February | 78% | 2.6 |
| March | 75% | 3.8 |
| April | 73% | 4.9 |
| May | 75% | 6.0 |
| June | 77% | 6.5 |
| July | 86% | 6.9 |
| August | 85% | 5.7 |
| September | 79% | 4.2 |
| October | 75% | 2.7 |
| November | 72% | 1.6 |
| December | 68% | 1.1 |
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 Hinsdale need?
A normal year in Hinsdale brings 8,506 heating degree days, 58% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 441 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 2,118 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,522 | 0 |
| February | 1,284 | 0 |
| March | 1,079 | 0 |
| April | 667 | 1 |
| May | 366 | 10 |
| June | 130 | 46 |
| July | 29 | 173 |
| August | 45 | 174 |
| September | 241 | 36 |
| October | 658 | 2 |
| November | 1,056 | 0 |
| December | 1,431 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 8,506 | 441 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00244180. 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.
How does Hinsdale's climate compare?
Hinsdale is warmer than 43 of the other 140 places with their own NOAA record in Montana, and wetter than 95. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 42.8°F is warmer than 12%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Hinsdale is Dwb: continental, dry-winter, warm summer. 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 Hinsdale's climate
What is the coldest month in Hinsdale?
January, with a normal high of 26°F and a normal low of 6°F. The warmest is July (84°F by day, 55°F at night).
What is the rainiest month in Hinsdale?
June, with 3.60 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 0.36 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Hinsdale in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Hinsdale in zone 3b in ZIP code 59241, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Hinsdale?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 15; in one year in ten it comes after May 30. Waiting until May 30 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Montana climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Saco, MT12 miles from this station, 42.0°F a year
- Content (4 mi NNE), MT25 miles from this station, 42.4°F a year
- Glasgow, MT26 miles from this station, 43.9°F a year
- St. Marie, MT30 miles from this station, 43.0°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made