Climate Comfort Score
49/100
Moderate
NOAA 1991–2020 normals 49°F annual avg Public-domain federal data
Yellowtail Dam, MT Climate
Average temperature, precipitation, and a comfort score, drawn from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →
- 49°F
- Avg annual temp
- 49/100
- Comfort score
- 16.7"
- Annual precip
- 151d
- Growing season
30-year climate normals from 1 weather station (1991-2020).
The climate verdict for Yellowtail Dam
Yellowtail Dam, Montana averages 49°F a year and scores 49/100 on the comfort index - moderate, milder than 18% of U.S. cities.
- 49°F
- annual average temperature (NOAA normal)
- 49/100
- comfort score, milder than 18% of U.S. cities
- 16.7"
- annual precipitation · 44" snow
- 151 days
- frost-free days per growing season
Based on NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020) - 30-year averages describing the typical year, not a forecast.
Avg Temperature
49°F (10°C)
Avg High
61°F
Avg Low
38°F
Annual Precip
16.7"
Annual Snow
43.9"
Comfort Score
49/100
Moderate
Avg Annual Temperature
49°F
30-year mean (NOAA NCEI)
Annual Precipitation
16.7"
Plus 43.9" of snow
Comfort score vs national 100-point ceiling (Yellowtail Dam) 49.0%
National median (63)
PlainClimate composite, temperature mildness, humidity, precipitation, extreme-weather frequency. Moderate for the Yellowtail Dam area.
How Yellowtail Dam compares to every U.S. city
Yellowtail Dam's comfort score vs. all U.S. cities
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
49 Top 82% higher than 18% of 6,915 US cities
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US cities. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Warming context for Yellowtail Dam
MethodologyYellowtail Dam's NOAA 1991-2020 normal sits inside a longer story: U.S. land temperatures have been tracking (and drifting from) the global mean since 1900, and the chart below shows that spread, with the most recent decade running warmer than the 30-year mean.
- United States land mean (NOAA NCEI) +0.11 °C/decade
- Global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
- Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 39°F (4°C) | 20°F (-7°C) | 29°F (-2°C) | 0.7" | 8.8" | 24.3 | 0.0 |
| February | 40°F (4°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 31°F (-1°C) | 0.8" | 7.4" | 21.4 | 0.0 |
| March | 50°F (10°C) | 28°F (-2°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 1.2" | 8.4" | 18.8 | 0.0 |
| April | 58°F (14°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 1.9" | 3.0" | 9.1 | 0.0 |
| May | 68°F (20°C) | 44°F (7°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 2.6" | 0.2" | 1.6 | 0.6 |
| June | 78°F (26°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 2.3" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 5.1 |
| July | 89°F (32°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 74°F (23°C) | 1.1" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 18.1 |
| August | 87°F (31°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 0.8" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 16.8 |
| September | 76°F (24°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 1.7" | 0.0" | 0.9 | 4.5 |
| October | 61°F (16°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 49°F (10°C) | 2.0" | 3.0" | 6.9 | 0.2 |
| November | 48°F (9°C) | 28°F (-2°C) | 38°F (3°C) | 0.8" | 5.8" | 18.7 | 0.0 |
| December | 39°F (4°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 30°F (-1°C) | 0.7" | 7.3" | 24.1 | 0.0 |
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
January 0.7"
Snow: 8.8"
4.9 days with precipitation
February 0.8"
Snow: 7.4"
4.5 days with precipitation
March 1.2"
Snow: 8.4"
6.0 days with precipitation
April 1.9"
Snow: 3.0"
7.6 days with precipitation
May 2.6"
Snow: 0.2"
8.0 days with precipitation
June 2.3"
7.4 days with precipitation
July 1.1"
5.0 days with precipitation
August 0.8"
3.7 days with precipitation
September 1.7"
4.7 days with precipitation
October 2.0"
Snow: 3.0"
6.0 days with precipitation
November 0.8"
Snow: 5.8"
4.1 days with precipitation
December 0.7"
Snow: 7.3"
4.5 days with precipitation
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
October 5
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
May 7
50% probability date
Growing Season
151 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
6,378
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
734
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
What Yellowtail Dam's climate means for you
Yellowtail Dam runs 49°F a year - peaking in July, coldest in January.
- Gardeners get about 151 frost-free days, with the last spring freeze near May 7 - plan the planting calendar around it, not the regional average.
- Energy bills track 6,378 heating and 734 cooling degree days a year, higher means the furnace or AC runs more.
- Comparing places to live? Line this city up against nearby cities and the national rankings. See rankings
These are 30-year NOAA normals (1991–2020) - the typical year, not a forecast for any specific season.
Climate Guides
Climate Insight: Yellowtail Dam, MT
In Yellowtail Dam, Montana, the NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals put the annual average temperature at 49°F, ranging from a mean daily high of 61°F to a mean daily low of 38°F. July is typically the warmest month of the year, while January is the coldest. As thirty-year averages computed from station USC00249240, these numbers smooth out year-to-year noise into a working baseline for a typical month.
Precipitation patterns matter as much as temperature for anyone planning to live, garden, or travel here. Yellowtail Dam receives roughly 16.7 inches of precipitation each year, with 43.9 inches typically falling as snow. The frost-free season averages 151 days, which directly shapes the planting calendar and growing potential for the area, with the last spring freeze near May 7 and the first fall freeze near October 5. For energy use, 6,378 heating degree days and 734 cooling degree days tell the story of how often furnaces and air conditioners run during a normal year.
On PlainClimate's composite comfort index, Yellowtail Dam scores 49/100 (Moderate), a blended measure that weighs temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, and extreme-weather frequency against one another. Shoulder seasons bring the mildest highs and lows in the monthly tables above, summer brings July-driven heat, and winter brings January-driven cold - use that rhythm for planning. These figures are thirty-year averages rather than forecasts, so a specific year may still run warmer, cooler, wetter, or drier than what's shown.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the average temperature in Yellowtail Dam, MT? ▼
The average annual temperature in Yellowtail Dam, Montana is 49°F. The warmest month averages 89°F (32°C) and the coldest averages 20°F (-7°C).
How much rain does Yellowtail Dam get? ▼
Yellowtail Dam receives 16.7 inches of precipitation annually, including 43.9 inches of snow. Based on NOAA 30-year climate normals (1991-2020).
What is the comfort score for Yellowtail Dam? ▼
Yellowtail Dam has a climate comfort score of 49/100 (Moderate), milder than 18% of U.S. cities in the PlainClimate database.
When is the growing season in Yellowtail Dam? ▼
Yellowtail Dam has approximately 151 frost-free days per year, with the last spring freeze around May 7 and the first fall freeze around October 5.
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Yellowtail Dam? ▼
Yellowtail Dam has 6,378 heating degree days and 734 cooling degree days annually, a heating-dominated climate. See our <a href="/guides/reading-weather-data/" class="underline hover:text-brand-600">guide to reading weather data</a> for what these figures mean.
Where does this Yellowtail Dam climate data come from? ▼
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020), from weather station USC00249240 near Yellowtail Dam.
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). Station: USC00249240. For informational purposes only.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Data sourced from official public datasets. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainClimate Editorial
Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.