Sand Creek, Montana climate: Climate normals at a NOAA weather station
Sand Creek's normal year runs from 9°F January nights to 86°F July afternoons. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 7.1°C, January lows of −13°C, July highs of 30°C.
- NOAA stationSand Creek
- Station IDUSC00247342
- Location47.58°N 108.73°W
- Elevation2,910 ft (887 m)
On October 23, the normal high in Sand Creek is 55°F and the normal low 30°F.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Sand Creek.
- Jan 33° 9°
- Feb 36° 12°
- Mar 45° 21°
- Apr 56° 32°
- May 66° 41°
- Jun 75° 50°
- Jul 86° 56°
- Aug 84° 54°
- Sep 74° 45°
- Oct 59° 33°
- Nov 45° 21°
- Dec 33° 11°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like at Sand Creek each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 86°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 9°F.
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33°F | 9°F | 21.1°F | – | <1 | 30 | 8 h 50 min |
| February | 36°F | 12°F | 23.7°F | – | <1 | 27 | 10 h 10 min |
| March | 45°F | 21°F | 33.2°F | – | <1 | 27 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 56°F | 32°F | 44.0°F | – | <1 | 16 | 13 h 30 min |
| May | 66°F | 41°F | 53.7°F | – | <1 | 4 | 15 h |
| June | 75°F | 50°F | 62.4°F | – | 2 | <1 | 16 h |
| July | 86°F | 56°F | 70.9°F | – | 11 | <1 | 15 h 40 min |
| August | 84°F | 54°F | 69.0°F | – | 11 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| September | 74°F | 45°F | 59.1°F | – | 3 | 2 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 59°F | 33°F | 45.8°F | – | <1 | 15 | 11 h |
| November | 45°F | 21°F | 32.7°F | – | <1 | 25 | 9 h 20 min |
| December | 33°F | 11°F | 22.2°F | – | <1 | 30 | 8 h 30 min |
| Year (annual) | 58°F | 32°F | 44.8°F | – | 28 | 176 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0°C | −13°C | −6.1°C |
| February | 2°C | −11°C | −4.6°C |
| March | 7°C | −6°C | 0.7°C |
| April | 13°C | 0°C | 6.7°C |
| May | 19°C | 5°C | 12.1°C |
| June | 24°C | 10°C | 16.9°C |
| July | 30°C | 13°C | 21.6°C |
| August | 29°C | 12°C | 20.6°C |
| September | 23°C | 7°C | 15.1°C |
| October | 15°C | 0°C | 7.7°C |
| November | 7°C | −6°C | 0.4°C |
| December | 1°C | −12°C | −5.4°C |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Roy (8 miles away), gets 36 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00247342; 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.
Which months are mildest at Sand Creek?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, August and September.
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 USC00247342.
When is the last frost at Sand Creek?
In Sand Creek, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 12 in half of years and after May 27 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 27 in half of years and before September 14 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 121 year in 10 after May 27; 9 in 10 after April 30
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 271 year in 10 before September 14; 9 in 10 before October 8
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 136 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 157 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after May 1 in half of springs and before October 4 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Sand Creek in zone 4b in ZIP code 59471, 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 USC00247342; 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 at Sand Creek?
In a normal year in Sand Creek, 28 days a year reach 90°F (2 of them 100°F or more) and 176 nights fall to 32°F or colder.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 28a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- 2a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 176a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 56high of 32°F or less
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00247342.
How sunny is it at Sand Creek?
Over a year 77% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds at Sand Creek, 4.0 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (87%) and December the cloudiest (67%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 73% | 1.6 |
| February | 75% | 2.6 |
| March | 72% | 3.7 |
| April | 70% | 4.8 |
| May | 72% | 5.8 |
| June | 77% | 6.6 |
| July | 87% | 7.1 |
| August | 85% | 5.9 |
| September | 79% | 4.3 |
| October | 73% | 2.7 |
| November | 71% | 1.7 |
| December | 67% | 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 many heating and cooling degree days does Sand Creek record?
A normal year at Sand Creek brings 7,796 heating degree days, 45% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 469 cooling degree days, 48% 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 2,204 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,362 | 0 |
| February | 1,158 | 0 |
| March | 988 | 0 |
| April | 630 | 0 |
| May | 356 | 7 |
| June | 123 | 46 |
| July | 17 | 201 |
| August | 43 | 167 |
| September | 222 | 44 |
| October | 601 | 4 |
| November | 971 | 0 |
| December | 1,327 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 7,796 | 469 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00247342. 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.
Have recent years at Sand Creek been warmer than normal?
2022 averaged 44.8°F, equal to the 1991-2020 normal of 44.8°F. 1 of the 2 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 46.3°F | +1.5°F |
| 2022 | 44.8°F | at normal |
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USC00247342. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Sand Creek's climate compare?
Sand Creek is warmer than 87 of the 141 places with their own NOAA record in Montana. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 44.8°F is warmer than 18%.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers.
Questions about Sand Creek's climate
What is the coldest month at Sand Creek?
January, with a normal high of 33°F and a normal low of 9°F. The warmest is July (86°F by day, 56°F at night).
Does it snow at Sand Creek?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for the station; the nearest record that keeps one, Roy (8 miles away), records 36 inches of snow in a normal year.
What plant hardiness zone is Sand Creek in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Sand Creek in zone 4b in ZIP code 59471, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come at Sand Creek?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 12; in one year in ten it comes after May 27. Waiting until May 27 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Montana climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Roy, MT8 miles from this station, 45.4°F a year
- Valentine, MT20 miles from this station, 43.9°F a year
- Zortman, MT25 miles from this station, 43.2°F a year
- Winifred, MT30 miles from this station, 44.0°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made