Photo: Cecil Sanders · CC BY 2.0Butte gets about 83 inches of snow a winter, more than 96% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 66°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 83 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Butte at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Butte’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Butte’s place in Alaska beside it.
What a year in Butte feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 114 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by September 16. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Palmer Job Corps, AK, 5 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher; frost dates and degree days from Lazy Mtn, AK, 7 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Butte’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −24°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
About 83 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lazy Mtn, AK, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 112 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Butte
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55°: every month but July.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Lazy Mtn, AK.
Living with Butte’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
114 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 22 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Sep 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 18 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Butte from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (74%). Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Butte and its neighbors
Knik River has the coldest January nights next door (7°, 2° colder) and Knik River the hottest July afternoons (68°, 2° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Butte’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butte, AK | 9° | 66° | 18" | 83" |
| Superior, WI | 6° | 76° | 30" | 56" |
| Marquette, MI | 11° | 76° | 32" | 102" |
| Woodland Park, CO | 11° | 77° | 22" | 134" |
| Duluth, MN | 5° | 76° | 30" | 56" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
How Butte compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Butte’s place among Alaska’s.
Butte weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from the nearest NOAA station; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lazy Mtn, AK. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 23° | 9° | 1.0" | 14.7" | 7 | 30 |
| February | 29° | 12° | 1.0" | 13.6" | 7 | 29 |
| March | 34° | 14° | 0.9" | 11.3" | 6 | 30 |
| April | 46° | 25° | 0.5" | 4.8" | 4 | 22 |
| May | 58° | 35° | 0.8" | 0.9" | 7 | 1 |
| June | 64° | 43° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 |
| July | 66° | 48° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 |
| August | 63° | 45° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 15 | 0 |
| September | 55° | 37° | 2.9" | 0.5" | 15 | 1 |
| October | 42° | 26° | 1.8" | 6.0" | 10 | 8 |
| November | 28° | 15° | 1.2" | 11.9" | 8 | 22 |
| December | 24° | 11° | 1.5" | 18.8" | 9 | 29 |
| Year | 44° | 27° | 18.0" | 82.5" | 112 | 171 |
Where Butte’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station (NOAA’s grid doesn’t cover Alaska).
- Snow: Lazy Mtn, AK.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Lazy Mtn, AK, 7 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Palmer Job Corps, AK, 5 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft higher; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Butte’s climate
What is the weather like in Butte?
A typical July afternoon reaches 66°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 83 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 30 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Butte in winter?
January nights average 9°. About 179 nights a year reach 32° or below and 26 reach 0° or below.
How much snow does Butte get?
About 83 inches in a normal winter at Lazy Mtn, AK, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 171 days a year.
How hot does it get in Butte?
July, with a typical high of 66°. 90° days are rare: none in a normal year at Lazy Mtn, AK.
When is the first and last frost in Butte?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by September 16, about 114 frost-free days, at Lazy Mtn, AK.
What growing zone is Butte in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Butte?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Butte.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.