Loma, MT Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Annual temperature and rainfall from NOAA NCEI's 1991–2020 normals →; comfort score computed by PlainClimate
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Loma's primary NOAA station, LOMA.
The climate verdict for Loma
Dryness leads the climate profile for Loma, Montana, with 12.8 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 45°F. At 39/100 (below average) the climate comfort score falls in the bottom third of the station-mapped U.S. score corpus, exceeding only 4% of scores.
- 45°F
- yearly average temperature, NOAA normal
- 39/100
- comfort score, above 4% of station-mapped location scores
- 12.8"
- annual precipitation · 36" snow
- 122 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Loma: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USC00245153 · Loma, MT 45°F mean · 12.8" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-COOL · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-DRY · SWING-WIDE · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 45°F
- RANK-COOL #1,235
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Sonnette
- PRCP-DRY 12.8"
- SWING-WIDE 50°F
- COMF-LOW 39/100
- LOAD-HEAT 7,741 HDD
- STN-1 USC00245153
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Sonnette, MT (+ 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.
- Loma (this station) 45°F
- Cold Glendo, WY 45°F
- Hot Emblem, WY 45°F
- Near Sonnette, MT 45°F
- Near Rogers City, MI 45°F
Loma 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 · Loma
Loma: 17/100 · grade F
Loma publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Loma, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 39/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Snowfall burden | 36.3 inches/year | 32/100 · F |
| Precipitation balance | 12.8 in · 22.2 from 35 in | 21/100 · F |
| Annual temperature balance | 44.8°F · 22.7° from 67.5°F | 19/100 · F |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 210 calendar days | 9/100 · F |
| Frost-free season | 122 days/year | 8/100 · F |
Loma · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Loma'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
- 70.1°F
- Coldest month
- 20.6°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 Loma sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Loma's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- Cooler than 82%
- Among 6,861 stations, Loma sits in the cooler third of annual means.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 88%
- Loma's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Wider than 79%
- Warmest-to-coldest month gap for Loma is large versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Loma compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Loma's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
39 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
Loma's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 59 complete annual observations from 1951 to 2023, LOMA warmed at a fitted rate of 0.24°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Loma primary station fitted change +0.24 °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 | 34°F (1°C) | 7°F (-14°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 0.5" | 8.4" | 29.3 | 0.0 |
| February | 38°F (3°C) | 10°F (-12°C) | 24°F (-4°C) | 0.4" | 5.4" | 27.1 | 0.0 |
| March | 49°F (9°C) | 20°F (-7°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 0.5" | 5.0" | 28.1 | 0.0 |
| April | 59°F (15°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 1.4" | 1.9" | 17.8 | 0.0 |
| May | 69°F (21°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 2.0" | 0.8" | 5.8 | 0.6 |
| June | 77°F (25°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 2.5" | 0.0" | 0.1 | 2.5 |
| July | 88°F (31°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 70°F (21°C) | 1.2" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 13.5 |
| August | 87°F (30°C) | 51°F (10°C) | 69°F (20°C) | 1.2" | 0.0" | 0.2 | 12.9 |
| September | 76°F (24°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 58°F (15°C) | 1.1" | 0.0" | 3.2 | 3.6 |
| October | 61°F (16°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 1.0" | 1.6" | 18.5 | 0.0 |
| November | 46°F (8°C) | 19°F (-7°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 0.6" | 6.1" | 26.3 | 0.0 |
| December | 36°F (2°C) | 10°F (-12°C) | 23°F (-5°C) | 0.4" | 7.1" | 30.1 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Loma works both ends of the calendar. Normal highs climb to 90°F by July 27 and hold at or above 90°F on 12 dates, then normal lows drop to freezing or below on 198 dates, bottoming at 6°F around January 1.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from July 24 through August 4, covering 12 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs May 19 to September 29.
This counts calendar dates whose 1991–2020 normal high reaches 90°F. It is a smaller number than the 90°F+ day counts in the monthly table above, which measure how often the threshold was actually crossed in a typical year. A date can average 88°F and still exceed 90°F in half of all years.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into April 25, then returns to freezing around October 11, covering 198 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 6, when 35% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is December 1 at 15%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 76 wet dates a year.
The widest day
July 30 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 36°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Loma.
Where Loma Stands Nationally
Winters bite deep and often: the normal nightly low dips to freezing or below on around 198 nights a year, placing this among the most frost-prone tenth of ranked stations.
Day-to-night contrast is extreme by national standards — the widest normal daily swing reaches about 36°F, sharper than nine in ten ranked stations see.
Loma 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: 8.4"
5.3 days with precipitation
Snow: 5.4"
5.2 days with precipitation
Snow: 5.0"
5.0 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.9"
7.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.8"
9.5 days with precipitation
10.2 days with precipitation
6.3 days with precipitation
5.4 days with precipitation
5.4 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.6"
5.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 6.1"
5.2 days with precipitation
Snow: 7.1"
5.1 days with precipitation
Loma runs a summer-peaked wet season
38% of Loma'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 2.5", on a wide 49.5°F gap between its warmest and coldest month. 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, April, taking 46% of the annual total between them.
- Driest month: February at 0.4".
- 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.
Loma is dry, and what does fall arrives gently
Only about 76 days a year record measurable precipitation here, 21% of the calendar, and they carry 12.8" 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 10 wet days; the driest is March at about 5.
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 Loma
Loma averages 36.3 inches of snowfall a year, with January the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 20 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: 36.3 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 20 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 28% 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
September 19
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 20
50% probability date
Growing Season
122 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
7,741
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
413
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside MT closest to Loma 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 (45°F here).
- Dannemora, NY 45°F · 0.0°F off
- Estherville, IA 45°F · 0.0°F off
- Harrison, NE 45°F · 0.0°F off
- Koosharem, UT 45°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (12.8" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Santa FE, NM 12.8" · 0.0" off
- Cuba, NM 12.8" · 0.0" off
- Baker, NV 12.8" · 0.0" off
- Rifle, CO 12.8" · 0.0" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Loma
heating led · dry · mid swing
Loma's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 7,741 annual heating degree days against 413 for cooling. Its 49.5°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Only about 122 days are frost-free in a normal year. That short interval is consistent with the cold-season signal, but the measure does not predict the exact first or last freeze in any one year.
-
1. Loma coldest normal
January
Averaging 21°F (-6°C), this month sits below freezing for the month as a whole, not merely overnight.
-
2. Loma typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Loma snow peak
January
Loma averages 36.3 inches of snow a year, with January the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Loma's climate
How much snow does Loma get? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Loma get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Loma? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Loma's primary station: LOMA (USC00245153). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The 2024 Census Gazetteer identifies the exact name-and-state match as a census-designated place (GEOID 3044800), not an incorporated municipality. Match rule for Loma: exact normalized name + state only, no fuzzy expansion, so nearby differently spelled facilities stay unmatched.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Loma 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.