Sunburst, Montana climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Sunburst's normal year runs from 13°F January nights to 81°F July afternoons, with 14.3 inches of precipitation a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 6.3°C, January lows of −11°C, July highs of 27°C, 364 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationSunburst (8 mi E)
- Station IDUSC00247996
- Location48.89°N 111.73°W
- Elevation3,700 ft (1,128 m)
- Population352
On October 23, the normal high in Sunburst 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 Sunburst.
- Jan 31° 13°
- Feb 34° 14°
- Mar 43° 22°
- Apr 55° 31°
- May 65° 40°
- Jun 71° 47°
- Jul 81° 52°
- Aug 81° 52°
- Sep 70° 44°
- Oct 55° 32°
- Nov 41° 22°
- Dec 32° 14°
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 Sunburst each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 81°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 13°F. The most precipitation falls in June (3.51 in), the least in February (0.47 in).
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31°F | 13°F | 22.0°F | 0.49 | 4 | <1 | 29 | 8 h 40 min |
| February | 34°F | 14°F | 23.9°F | 0.47 | 5 | <1 | 26 | 10 h 10 min |
| March | 43°F | 22°F | 32.1°F | 0.62 | 5 | <1 | 27 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 55°F | 31°F | 42.6°F | 1.21 | 6 | <1 | 19 | 13 h 40 min |
| May | 65°F | 40°F | 52.1°F | 1.87 | 9 | <1 | 6 | 15 h 10 min |
| June | 71°F | 47°F | 59.0°F | 3.51 | 12 | <1 | <1 | 16 h 10 min |
| July | 81°F | 52°F | 66.4°F | 1.40 | 7 | 5 | <1 | 15 h 50 min |
| August | 81°F | 52°F | 66.3°F | 1.22 | 7 | 5 | <1 | 14 h 30 min |
| September | 70°F | 44°F | 56.8°F | 1.17 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 12 h 40 min |
| October | 55°F | 32°F | 43.6°F | 0.95 | 5 | <1 | 17 | 10 h 50 min |
| November | 41°F | 22°F | 31.7°F | 0.66 | 4 | <1 | 25 | 9 h 10 min |
| December | 32°F | 14°F | 23.0°F | 0.75 | 5 | <1 | 30 | 8 h 20 min |
| Year (annual) | 55°F | 32°F | 43.3°F | 14.32 | 74 | 12 | 181 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0°C | −11°C | −5.6°C | 12 mm |
| February | 1°C | −10°C | −4.5°C | 12 mm |
| March | 6°C | −6°C | 0.1°C | 16 mm |
| April | 13°C | −1°C | 5.9°C | 31 mm |
| May | 18°C | 4°C | 11.2°C | 47 mm |
| June | 22°C | 8°C | 15.0°C | 89 mm |
| July | 27°C | 11°C | 19.1°C | 36 mm |
| August | 27°C | 11°C | 19.1°C | 31 mm |
| September | 21°C | 7°C | 13.8°C | 30 mm |
| October | 13°C | 0°C | 6.4°C | 24 mm |
| November | 5°C | −5°C | −0.2°C | 17 mm |
| December | 0°C | −10°C | −5.0°C | 19 mm |
NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for this station. The nearest record that keeps one, Goldbutte (7 mi N) (16 miles away), gets 86 inches of snow in a normal year; elevation and distance can change that.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00247996; 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 Sunburst?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in June, July, August and September. Of those, September has the fewest days with rain (6).
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 USC00247996.
When is the last frost in Sunburst?
In Sunburst, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after May 17 in half of years and after May 31 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before September 25 in half of years and before September 9 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 171 year in 10 after May 31; 9 in 10 after May 2
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- September 251 year in 10 before September 9; 9 in 10 before October 6
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 129 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 Sunburst in zone 4a in ZIP code 59482, 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 USC00247996; 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 Sunburst?
In a normal year in Sunburst, 12 days a year reach 90°F, 181 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 74 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 12a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 181a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 50high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 74a normal year
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USC00247996.
How sunny is Sunburst?
Over a year 76% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Sunburst, 3.9 kWh per square metre a day. July is the sunniest month (87%) and December the cloudiest (62%).
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 67% | 1.3 |
| February | 69% | 2.3 |
| March | 70% | 3.5 |
| April | 72% | 4.9 |
| May | 73% | 5.9 |
| June | 78% | 6.6 |
| July | 87% | 7.1 |
| August | 85% | 5.8 |
| September | 79% | 4.2 |
| October | 73% | 2.6 |
| November | 67% | 1.5 |
| December | 62% | 1.0 |
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 Sunburst need?
A normal year in Sunburst brings 8,152 heating degree days, 52% more than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 274 cooling degree days, 70% 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 1,754 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,333 | 0 |
| February | 1,149 | 0 |
| March | 1,020 | 0 |
| April | 672 | 0 |
| May | 405 | 5 |
| June | 200 | 20 |
| July | 66 | 109 |
| August | 73 | 113 |
| September | 272 | 26 |
| October | 664 | 1 |
| November | 998 | 0 |
| December | 1,300 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 8,152 | 274 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00247996. 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 Sunburst's climate compare?
Sunburst is warmer than 53 of the other 140 places with their own NOAA record in Montana, and wetter than 54. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 43.3°F is warmer than 13%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Sunburst 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.
Which places near Sunburst share this climate record?
Kevin has no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of its own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Kevin, MT162 people · 15 mi SW
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
Questions about Sunburst's climate
What is the coldest month in Sunburst?
January, with a normal high of 31°F and a normal low of 13°F. The warmest is July (81°F by day, 52°F at night).
Does it snow in Sunburst?
Yes. NOAA publishes no 1991-2020 snowfall normal for Sunburst's NOAA station; the nearest record that keeps one, Goldbutte (7 mi N) (16 miles away), records 86 inches of snow in a normal year.
What is the rainiest month in Sunburst?
June, with 3.51 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 0.47 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Sunburst in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Sunburst in zone 4a in ZIP code 59482, the nearest ZIP area.
How late can frost come in Sunburst?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after May 17; in one year in ten it comes after May 31. Waiting until May 31 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Montana climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Sweetgrass, MT13 miles from this station, 43.5°F a year
- Goldbutte (7 mi N), MT16 miles from this station, 41.7°F a year
- Dunkirk (19 mi NNE), MT16 miles from this station, 41.0°F a year
- Shelby, MT27 miles from this station, 42.2°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made