Pompeys Pillar, MT Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Average temperature and precipitation from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →, with a derived climate comfort score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Pompeys Pillar's primary NOAA station, POMPEYS PILLAR 15N.
The climate verdict for Pompeys Pillar
Dryness leads the climate profile for Pompeys Pillar, Montana, with 14.5 inches of precipitation a year. NOAA records an annual average of 44°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.
- 44°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 39/100
- comfort score, above 4% of station-mapped location scores
- 14.5"
- annual precipitation · 46" snow
- 123 days
- frost-free growing season
Pompeys Pillar: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USC00246647 · Pompeys Pillar, MT 44°F mean · 14.5" precip
TEMP-COOL · RANK-COOL · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-DRY · SWING-WIDE · COMF-LOW · LOAD-HEAT · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-COOL 44°F
- RANK-COOL #1,098
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Jim Falls
- PRCP-DRY 14.5"
- SWING-WIDE 48°F
- COMF-LOW 39/100
- LOAD-HEAT 7,958 HDD
- STN-1 USC00246647
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Jim Falls, WI (+ 0.1 °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.
- Pompeys Pillar (this station) 44°F
- Cold Massena, NY 44°F
- Hot Devils Twr, WY 44°F
- Near Jim Falls, WI 44°F
- Near Rosholt, WI 44°F
Pompeys Pillar 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 · Pompeys Pillar
Pompeys Pillar: 18/100 · grade F
Pompeys Pillar publishes 5 of 6 Living Index dimensions (NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals); 1 missing weight rescale to 100.
PlainClimate-derived for Pompeys Pillar, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 39/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Precipitation balance | 14.5 in · 20.5 from 35 in | 26/100 · F |
| Snowfall burden | 46.1 inches/year | 23/100 · F |
| Annual temperature balance | 44.2°F · 23.3° from 67.5°F | 17/100 · F |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 198 calendar days | 15/100 · F |
| Frost-free season | 123 days/year | 8/100 · F |
Pompeys Pillar · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Pompeys Pillar'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
- 69.7°F
- Coldest month
- 21.9°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 Pompeys Pillar sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Pompeys Pillar's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- Cooler than 84%
- Among 6,861 stations, Pompeys Pillar sits in the cooler third of annual means.
- Annual precipitation
- Drier than 84%
- Pompeys Pillar's annual total ranks in the drier third of 6,352 measured normals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Wider than 72%
- Warmest-to-coldest month gap for Pompeys Pillar is large versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Pompeys Pillar compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Pompeys Pillar'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
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) | 10°F (-12°C) | 22°F (-6°C) | 0.5" | 6.7" | 29.3 | 0.0 |
| February | 37°F (3°C) | 12°F (-11°C) | 24°F (-4°C) | 0.6" | 9.8" | 26.8 | 0.0 |
| March | 46°F (8°C) | 20°F (-7°C) | 33°F (1°C) | 0.7" | 7.6" | 27.5 | 0.0 |
| April | 55°F (13°C) | 29°F (-2°C) | 42°F (6°C) | 1.6" | 4.2" | 18.4 | 0.0 |
| May | 65°F (18°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 2.6" | 1.1" | 5.4 | 0.2 |
| June | 75°F (24°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 2.6" | 0.0" | 0.3 | 2.4 |
| July | 85°F (29°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 70°F (21°C) | 1.4" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 13.7 |
| August | 85°F (30°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 69°F (20°C) | 0.9" | 0.0" | 0.1 | 12.3 |
| September | 73°F (23°C) | 42°F (6°C) | 58°F (14°C) | 1.2" | 0.2" | 1.8 | 3.2 |
| October | 58°F (14°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 1.4" | 5.0" | 16.8 | 0.1 |
| November | 45°F (7°C) | 19°F (-7°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 0.5" | 4.4" | 25.4 | 0.0 |
| December | 36°F (2°C) | 12°F (-11°C) | 24°F (-5°C) | 0.4" | 7.1" | 30.0 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
Summer here tops out rather than builds: the warmest normal high is 88°F around July 31, short of 90°F on every date, while 198 dates carry a normal low at or below freezing, the coldest 10°F near January 5.
The freezing stretch
The normal low stays at or below 32°F into April 26, then returns to freezing around October 12, 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 1, when 41% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is November 29 at 18%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 95 wet dates a year.
The widest day
August 21 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 33°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Pompeys Pillar.
Where Pompeys Pillar 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.
A drier-than-most normal water year — around 15 inches, below what four out of five ranked stations collect.
Pompeys Pillar 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: 6.7"
6.5 days with precipitation
Snow: 9.8"
7.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 7.6"
7.4 days with precipitation
Snow: 4.2"
9.3 days with precipitation
Snow: 1.1"
11.2 days with precipitation
11.5 days with precipitation
7.7 days with precipitation
6.2 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.2"
6.8 days with precipitation
Snow: 5.0"
8.3 days with precipitation
Snow: 4.4"
5.7 days with precipitation
Snow: 7.1"
6.0 days with precipitation
Pompeys Pillar spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 34% of the annual total and December through February 10%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Pompeys Pillar has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a wide 47.8°F gap between its warmest and coldest month.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: June averages 2.6" and December 0.4". The three wettest months together take 47% of the year, against the 25% a perfectly flat distribution would give them.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. "Spread across the year" means neither the June-August nor the December-February share reaches 35%; it describes an average year, not the variability of any single one.
Pompeys Pillar is dry, and what does fall arrives gently
Only about 95 days a year record measurable precipitation here, 26% of the calendar, and they carry 14.5" between them. At roughly 0.15 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 November 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 Pompeys Pillar
Pompeys Pillar averages 46.1 inches of snowfall a year, with February the snowiest month on the normals, spread across roughly 37 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: 46.1 inches of depth.
- Days recording measurable snow: about 37 a year.
- At a rough ten-to-one melt ratio, snow accounts for on the order of 32% 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 22
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 22
50% probability date
Growing Season
123 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
7,958
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
419
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside MT closest to Pompeys Pillar 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 (44°F here).
- Andover, SD 44°F · 0.0°F off
- Greer, AZ 44°F · 0.0°F off
- Jordan, MN 44°F · 0.0°F off
- Joseph, OR 44°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (14.5" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Escondido, CA 14.5" · 0.0" off
- Cliff, NM 14.5" · 0.0" off
- Douglas, WY 14.5" · 0.0" off
- Northglenn, CO 14.5" · 0.0" off
Snow and freeze rhythm
When cold and snow define Pompeys Pillar
heating led · dry · mid swing
Pompeys Pillar's energy balance leans toward cold weather: 7,958 annual heating degree days against 419 for cooling. Its 47.8°F seasonal range still makes the monthly rows more useful than the annual average alone.
Only about 123 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. Pompeys Pillar coldest normal
January
Averaging 22°F (-6°C), this month sits below freezing for the month as a whole, not merely overnight.
-
2. Pompeys Pillar typical freeze period
January through December
The station reports average freezing days from January through December.
-
3. Pompeys Pillar snow peak
February
Pompeys Pillar averages 46.1 inches of snow a year, with February the snowiest month on the normals.
Questions about Pompeys Pillar's climate
How much snow does Pompeys Pillar get? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Pompeys Pillar get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Pompeys Pillar? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Pompeys Pillar's primary station: POMPEYS PILLAR 15N (USC00246647). 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 3058825), not an incorporated municipality. Match rule for Pompeys Pillar: 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 Pompeys Pillar 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.