PlainClimate

NOAA climate atlas · updated August 2026

Montana Climate Data

Climate normals for 215 station-mapped locations, each from its primary station in Montana's 432-station NOAA network.

average temperature
43°F (6°C)43.4°F · fleet p50 52.2°F · n=50
Cooler national band
annual precipitation
15.9"15.9 inches · fleet p50 43.7 inches · n=50
Drier national band
annual snowfall
51.1"51.1 inches · fleet p50 24.7 inches · n=50
High-snow national band
locations / stations
215 / 432State coverage: 215 locations / 432 stations. Benchmark context: this profile's measured location and NOAA-station counts.
State coverage

Montana's climate in one line

Montana averages 43°F a year - cooler than 90% of U.S. states, spanning Cooke City at 34°F to Yellowtail Dam at 49°F.

43°F
statewide average · 10th percentile of states
16"
average annual precipitation
64/100
most comfortable: Bigfork
215
station-mapped locations · 432 NOAA stations

Statewide figures are simple averages across 215 station-mapped locations (each from its primary NOAA station), local conditions vary widely by elevation and coast distance.

How Montana ranks among all 50 states

Montana's average temperature vs. all U.S. states

Statewide annual mean temperature, NOAA 1991–2020 normals

43°F 10th percentile cooler than 90% of 50 U.S. states

30°F–35°F: 1 US states (2%). Below this entry. 35°F–40°F: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry. 40°F–45°F: 8 US states (16%). This entry sits in this band. 45°F–50°F: 10 US states (20%). Above this entry. 50°F–55°F: 12 US states (24%). Above this entry. 55°F–60°F: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry. 60°F–65°F: 7 US states (14%). Above this entry. 65°F–70°F: 2 US states (4%). Above this entry. 70°F–75°F: 2 US states (4%). Above this entry. This state 30°F 75°F every U.S. state, bucketed by value
  1. 30°F–35°F: 1 US states (2%). Below this entry.
  2. 35°F–40°F: 0 US states (0%). Below this entry.
  3. 40°F–45°F: 8 US states (16%). This entry sits in this band.
  4. 45°F–50°F: 10 US states (20%). Above this entry.
  5. 50°F–55°F: 12 US states (24%). Above this entry.
  6. 55°F–60°F: 8 US states (16%). Above this entry.
  7. 60°F–65°F: 7 US states (14%). Above this entry.
  8. 65°F–70°F: 2 US states (4%). Above this entry.
  9. 70°F–75°F: 2 US states (4%). Above this entry.

Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (statewide aggregate) · 1991–2020

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more US states. 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.

Montana in the national rankings

Temperature × precipitation · 50-state landscape

Montana in the national climate landscape

Montana averages 43.4°F and 15.9 inches of annual precipitation across 215 station-mapped locations. Against the same complete 50-state cohort, that places it in the cooler and drier half of the chart. Dashed lines mark the national medians of 52.3°F and 43.7 inches.

MT · Montana43.4°F · 15.9 in · cooler and drier than the medians
Cooler + wetterWarmer + wetterCooler + drierWarmer + drier31.5°F42.3°F53.0°F63.8°F74.6°F6.3"20.5"34.6"48.7"62.9"Annual mean temperatureAnnual precipitationAK · 172 locations: 33.5°F, 47.6"AL · 100 locations: 63.3°F, 57.9"AR · 110 locations: 60.7°F, 52.2"AZ · 169 locations: 62.3°F, 12.4"CA · 363 locations: 59.8°F, 21.6"CO · 214 locations: 46.3°F, 15.9"CT · 23 locations: 50.1°F, 48.6"DE · 7 locations: 56.2°F, 46.8"FL · 165 locations: 72.6°F, 55.2"GA · 122 locations: 63.4°F, 52"HI · 49 locations: 72.4°F, 48.5"IA · 143 locations: 48°F, 35.9"ID · 139 locations: 46.1°F, 18"IL · 163 locations: 52.2°F, 40.7"IN · 116 locations: 52.4°F, 43.7"KS · 168 locations: 54.8°F, 31.2"KY · 95 locations: 56.2°F, 50.6"LA · 91 locations: 67.3°F, 60.3"MA · 68 locations: 49.2°F, 48.2"MD · 42 locations: 55.6°F, 45.5"ME · 79 locations: 43.1°F, 46.4"MI · 201 locations: 45.5°F, 34.2"MN · 172 locations: 42.2°F, 30"MO · 164 locations: 55.1°F, 43.9"MS · 91 locations: 64.1°F, 59.7"MT · 215 locations: 43.4°F, 15.9"MT · 215 locationsNC · 178 locations: 59.1°F, 52.2"ND · 119 locations: 41°F, 19.2"NE · 171 locations: 49.6°F, 25"NH · 52 locations: 44.5°F, 46.6"NJ · 45 locations: 53.6°F, 47.9"NM · 167 locations: 54.3°F, 13.8"NV · 115 locations: 52.4°F, 8.9"NY · 173 locations: 47.5°F, 43.7"OH · 128 locations: 51.6°F, 41.1"OK · 159 locations: 60.3°F, 35.7"OR · 180 locations: 50.5°F, 37.6"PA · 157 locations: 50.2°F, 45.2"RI · 9 locations: 51.2°F, 48.7"SC · 100 locations: 62.8°F, 49.8"SD · 149 locations: 45.6°F, 21.8"TN · 146 locations: 58°F, 56"TX · 449 locations: 66.2°F, 31.1"UT · 170 locations: 49.4°F, 13.9"VA · 119 locations: 55.8°F, 46"VT · 41 locations: 43.5°F, 43.7"WA · 149 locations: 49.9°F, 40.9"WI · 200 locations: 44.5°F, 34.6"WV · 99 locations: 52.3°F, 47.6"WY · 144 locations: 43.3°F, 14"
Read all 50 state values

Each point is PlainClimate's simple average across the station-mapped location normals available for that state. Cohort sizes vary and are shown below; the values are not population weighted. Dashed lines mark the median of this 50-state comparison and are guides, not comfort or safety thresholds.

StateLocationsAnnual meanAnnual precipitation
Alaska17233.5°F47.6 in
Alabama10063.3°F57.9 in
Arkansas11060.7°F52.2 in
Arizona16962.3°F12.4 in
California36359.8°F21.6 in
Colorado21446.3°F15.9 in
Connecticut2350.1°F48.6 in
Delaware756.2°F46.8 in
Florida16572.6°F55.2 in
Georgia12263.4°F52.0 in
Hawaii4972.4°F48.5 in
Iowa14348.0°F35.9 in
Idaho13946.1°F18.0 in
Illinois16352.2°F40.7 in
Indiana11652.4°F43.7 in
Kansas16854.8°F31.2 in
Kentucky9556.2°F50.6 in
Louisiana9167.3°F60.3 in
Massachusetts6849.2°F48.2 in
Maryland4255.6°F45.5 in
Maine7943.1°F46.4 in
Michigan20145.5°F34.2 in
Minnesota17242.2°F30.0 in
Missouri16455.1°F43.9 in
Mississippi9164.1°F59.7 in
Montana21543.4°F15.9 in
North Carolina17859.1°F52.2 in
North Dakota11941.0°F19.2 in
Nebraska17149.6°F25.0 in
New Hampshire5244.5°F46.6 in
New Jersey4553.6°F47.9 in
New Mexico16754.3°F13.8 in
Nevada11552.4°F8.9 in
New York17347.5°F43.7 in
Ohio12851.6°F41.1 in
Oklahoma15960.3°F35.7 in
Oregon18050.5°F37.6 in
Pennsylvania15750.2°F45.2 in
Rhode Island951.2°F48.7 in
South Carolina10062.8°F49.8 in
South Dakota14945.6°F21.8 in
Tennessee14658.0°F56.0 in
Texas44966.2°F31.1 in
Utah17049.4°F13.9 in
Virginia11955.8°F46.0 in
Vermont4143.5°F43.7 in
Washington14949.9°F40.9 in
Wisconsin20044.5°F34.6 in
West Virginia9952.3°F47.6 in
Wyoming14443.3°F14.0 in

Derived by PlainClimate from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals · simple averages across each state's varying station-mapped-location cohort · data updated August 2026.

Montana Climate in Context

U.S. land-mean temperature anomaly (NOAA NCEI) tracked against global anomaly (NASA GISTEMP). Paris Agreement 1.5°C and 2.0°C thresholds shown as reference lines. Montana sits within this national warming envelope; individual station-mapped locations below show local readings against this trend.

Montana within U.S. vs Global Warming, 1900-2024 Anomaly chart from 1900 to 2024. Local series shows warming of 0.11 °C per decade versus a global rate of 0.11 °C per decade (ratio 1.00). Paris Agreement thresholds at 1.5 and 2.0 °C are dashed. -1.0°C -0.5°C +0.0°C +0.5°C +1.0°C +1.5°C +2.0°C +2.5°C Paris 1.5°C Paris 2.0°C 1900192019401960198020002020
  • United States (incl. Montana) +0.11 °C/decade
  • Global (NASA GISTEMP) +0.11 °C/decade
  • Paris Agreement thresholds 1.5°C / 2.0°C
Sources: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals + NASA GISTEMP land-ocean.

Station-mapped locations in Montana

215 locations with climate data

Scroll the table to browse every location, or use the complete CSV and JSON exports below.

Location Avg Temp Precip
Adel 42°F N/A
Alberton 45°F 18.7"
Albion 40°F 16.6"
Alder 43°F 14.1"
Anaconda 44°F 14.9"
Augusta 45°F 15.5"
Austin 40°F 16.4"
Baker 44°F 14.7"
Baker Muni 44°F 14.6"
Biddle 47°F 15.3"
Big Sandy 45°F 13.3"
Big Sky 38°F 23.3"
Big Timber 47°F 16.9"
Bigfork 47°F 21.4"
Billings 48°F 14.8"
Billings Logan 48°F 14.3"
Billings Wtp 47°F 15.4"
Blackleaf 41°F N/A
Boulder 43°F 10.8"
Bozeman 6 W Exp Farm 44°F 15.8"
Bozeman Gallatin Fld 43°F 13.4"
Bozeman Montana State Univ 44°F 20.0"
Brady 45°F 12.5"
Brandenberg 47°F 15.5"
Bredette 41°F 14.4"
Bridger 46°F 11.5"
Broadus 48°F 14.9"
Brockway 44°F 12.4"
Busby 45°F 15.7"
Butte Bert Mooney 40°F 12.8"
Bynum 44°F 15.3"
Carlyle 43°F 16.8"
Carter 44°F 13.8"
Cascade 42°F 14.9"
Chester 41°F 12.3"
Chinook 42°F 13.4"
Choteau 44°F 11.9"
Circle 45°F 14.4"
Cohagen 44°F 12.3"
Colstrip 46°F 16.4"
Columbus 44°F 15.5"
Conrad 44°F 12.6"
Content 42°F 13.9"
Cooke City 34°F 26.6"
Creston 44°F 19.3"
Culbertson 43°F 14.5"
Cut Bank Muni 42°F 10.8"
Darby 45°F 15.1"
Deer Lodge 40°F 14.6"
Del Bonita 40°F 13.1"
Denton 43°F 15.8"
Dillon 39°F 10.1"
Dillon U of Montana Western 43°F 11.3"
Divide 41°F 11.3"
Drummond Aviation 43°F 12.1"
Dunkirk 41°F 10.6"
E Glacier 39°F 30.4"
Ekalaka 45°F 18.1"
Elliston 40°F 19.1"
Ennis 43°F 12.9"
Eureka Ranger Station 47°F 15.0"
Fairfield 44°F 12.4"
Flatwillow 47°F 14.2"
Forsyth 47°F 16.0"
Fort Assiniboine 44°F 13.1"
Fort Belknap 43°F 13.5"
Fort Benton 45°F 13.2"
Fort Peck Pwr Plt 47°F 13.6"
Fortine 44°F 15.1"
Gardiner 46°F 13.9"
Geraldine 47°F 16.9"
Gibson 44°F 15.2"
Gibson Dam 41°F 16.6"
Gildford 42°F 11.1"
Glasgow 44°F 13.4"
Glen 43°F 9.2"
Glendive 47°F 14.9"
Goldbutte 42°F 14.8"
Grass Range 46°F 17.9"
Great Falls 45°F 14.8"
Great Falls 16st 47°F 15.4"
Hamilton 45°F 13.6"
Hardin 48°F 13.8"
Harlem 44°F 12.5"
Harlowton 44°F 13.2"
Haugan 42°F 37.0"
Havre City County 44°F 11.8"
Hebgen Dam 37°F 28.6"
Helena 46°F 11.4"
Heron 45°F 34.2"
Highwood 47°F 15.1"
Hinsdale 43°F 16.3"
Holter Dam 47°F 13.8"
Hungry Horse Dam 44°F 34.6"
Huntley Exp Stn 46°F 14.4"
Hysham 47°F 14.9"
Ingomar 44°F 13.6"
Jackson 37°F 11.9"
Joliet 44°F 14.5"
Joplin 42°F 10.8"
Jordan 44°F 12.9"
Judith Gap 42°F 15.9"
Kalispell Glacier 43°F 16.8"
Lakeview 36°F 19.9"
Laurin 43°F 13.0"
Lennep 39°F 18.5"
Lewistown 41°F 16.8"
Lewistown Muni 43°F 17.2"
Libby 40°F 22.3"
Libby 1 NE Ranger Station 47°F 19.1"
Libby Dam 46°F 17.1"
Lima 42°F 10.3"
Lincoln Ranger Station 41°F 18.8"
Lindbergh Lake 42°F 25.4"
Livingston 46°F 16.3"
Livingston Mission Fld 45°F 14.6"
Logan Landfill 43°F 15.5"
Loma 45°F 12.8"
Malta 44°F 12.9"
Martinsdale 44°F 13.5"
Medicine Lake 41°F 14.1"
Melstone 47°F 15.5"
Melville 40°F 19.8"
Mildred 44°F 14.3"
Miles City F Wiley Fld 46°F 12.9"
Millegan 41°F 19.6"
Missoula 45°F 14.1"
Mizpah 46°F 14.5"
Moccasin Exp Stn 44°F 15.1"
Moorhead 46°F 13.1"
Mosby 48°F 14.5"
Mystic Lake 42°F 26.5"
Nashua 44°F N/A
Neihart 44°F N/A
Norris Madison Pwr House 49°F 18.4"
Nye 45°F 17.9"
Olney 40°F 20.3"
Opheim 39°F 14.4"
Ovando 39°F 11.8"
Phillipsburg Ranger Station 42°F 16.5"
Plentywood 39°F 14.7"
Plevna 44°F 15.6"
Polebridge 40°F N/A
Polson 46°F 15.0"
Pompeys Pillar 44°F 14.5"
Port of Morgan 42°F 12.6"
Potomac 39°F 15.1"
Powderville 47°F 15.0"
Rapelje 45°F 15.2"
Raymond Border Stn 41°F 15.1"
Raynesford 45°F 21.6"
Red Lodge 43°F 22.7"
Redstone 40°F 14.3"
Ridgeway 44°F 15.7"
Rock Springs 44°F 12.6"
Rogers Pass 44°F 17.1"
Roundup 47°F 14.9"
Roy 45°F 13.3"
Rudyard 41°F 11.9"
Ryegate 44°F 14.3"
Saco 42°F 13.4"
Saint Ignatius 48°F 16.7"
Saint Regis 46°F N/A
Sand Creek 45°F N/A
Savage 46°F 15.3"
Scobey 40°F 13.5"
Seeley Lake Ranger Station 42°F 21.6"
Shelby 42°F 12.1"
Shonkin 44°F 22.8"
Sidney 45°F 15.5"
Silver Gate 34°F N/A
Simpson 6 N - Wildhorse 41°F 11.2"
Skq Dam 45°F 15.7"
Sonnette 45°F 15.9"
St Marie 43°F 11.8"
St Mary 40°F 26.1"
Stanford 45°F 17.3"
Stevensville 46°F 12.4"
Sula 39°F 20.8"
Sun Rvr 44°F 13.3"
Sunburst 43°F 14.3"
Superior 48°F 16.4"
Swan Lake 44°F N/A
Sweetgrass 44°F N/A
Terry 45°F 13.4"
Thompson Falls Powerhouse 48°F 22.1"
Tiber Dam 45°F 10.2"
Tizer Gardens 41°F 17.8"
Townsend 45°F 10.6"
Trident 45°F 13.0"
Trout Creek Ranger Station 46°F 26.8"
Troy 47°F 24.4"
Turner 42°F 12.3"
Twin Bridges 44°F 9.4"
Valentine 44°F 14.6"
Valier 44°F 12.6"
Vida 44°F 14.2"
Virginia City 44°F 15.7"
W Glacier 43°F 30.9"
W Yellowstone Gateway 35°F 26.0"
Westby 39°F 14.9"
Western Ag Rsch Ctr 46°F 11.4"
White Sulphur Springs 42°F 13.0"
Whitefish 43°F 19.9"
Wibaux 42°F 16.1"
Wilsall 41°F 19.3"
Winifred 44°F 16.4"
Wisdom 35°F 12.3"
Wise Rvr 38°F 12.9"
Wolf Point 41°F 14.2"
Wolf PT 45°F 14.3"
Wyola 46°F 16.5"
Yaak 41°F 22.8"
Yellowtail Dam 49°F 16.7"
Zortman 43°F 19.5"

Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 · 1991-2020 Statewide aggregates for Montana computed as the simple average across its 215 station-mapped locations, each represented by its primary NOAA station (432 stations in the state network).

Climate Insight: Montana

Montana's climate profile is aggregated from 215 station-mapped locations and 432 NOAA weather stations reporting under the 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals program. The statewide average annual temperature sits at 43°F, which is the simple average across all tracked station-mapped locations rather than any single station's reading. Because Montana spans multiple latitudes, elevations, and proximities to large water bodies, local conditions can differ from this headline number by wide margins; coastal, valley, and mountain stations often diverge by ten degrees or more even within a single month.

Precipitation and snowfall averages round out the climatological picture. Across Montana, annual precipitation averages 15.9 inches, with typical seasonal snowfall near 51.1 inches statewide. These numbers combine rain, sleet, and snow water-equivalent and describe the thirty-year normal rather than any particular recent year. Readers evaluating a specific destination should drill into one of the 215 individual location profiles below; each station record varies with local geography, and the statewide figures here are averages that mask meaningful intrastate differences.

For planning purposes, the location table above is sorted to help you compare averages side-by-side: annual mean temperature, average daily high and low, precipitation totals, snowfall, and PlainClimate's climate comfort score. That 1–100 score combines temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, snowfall burden, and frost-free growing-season length from each location's NOAA normal. It is a climate-only comparison, not a NOAA or overall livability rating. Use it as a starting point, then open each location profile for the exact score inputs, monthly breakdowns, degree-day totals, frost dates, and separately reported humidity metrics.

Nationwide similar states

Other states closest to Montana on two NOAA statewide-average axes (annual temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.

Closest by average temperature

Nearest 50-state peers by avg_temp (43°F here).

Closest by annual precipitation

Nearest peers by avg_precip (15.9" here), excluding temperature-peer codes.

National state rankings →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average temperature in Montana?
Montana averages 43°F a year across NOAA's 1991-2020 Climate Normals, cooler than 90% of U.S. states. That is 9.7°F below the 53.1°F average across all 50 states.
Does the climate vary a lot within Montana?
Yes. Annual averages inside Montana run from Cooke City at 34°F to Yellowtail Dam at 49°F -- a 15°F spread between the state's coldest and warmest measured station-mapped locations. A single statewide average can mask this kind of local variation.
Where does Montana rank nationally for temperature?
Montana ranks #45 warmest and #6 coldest out of 50 U.S. states and territories with NOAA normals data, based on statewide average annual temperature.
What is the most comfortable station-mapped location in Montana?
Bigfork scores the highest established comfort rating in Montana at 64/100, a PlainClimate composite of annual temperature mildness, precipitation moderation, snowfall burden, and frost-free growing-season length.

Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). For informational purposes only.

Every figure on PlainClimate is rendered directly from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals data, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.