Photo: Bugeater · CC BY 2.0Alder is among the driest of U.S. towns: 12 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 83°. Its January nights bite harder than in 91% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.4° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Alder at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Alder’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Alder’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Alder feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 117 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by September 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Laurin 2ne, MT, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Alder’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −16°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 65 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Virginia City, MT, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 93 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Alder
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Laurin 2ne, MT.
Living with Alder’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
117 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 24 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Alder from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (78%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Alder and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Alder yet.
Climates most like Alder’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alder, MT | 12° | 83° | 12" | 65" |
| Laramie, WY | 12° | 81° | 12" | 64" |
| Durango, CO | 12° | 86° | 18" | 64" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
| Hailey, ID | 10° | 84° | 14" | 102" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Alder averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°).
A bigger shift than in 54% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Alder compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Alder’s place among Montana’s.
Alder weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Alder’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Virginia City, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 12° | 0.5" | 11.2" | 6 | 16° – 30° |
| February | 38° | 14° | 0.5" | 8.0" | 6 | 16° – 34° |
| March | 47° | 21° | 0.7" | 6.6" | 6 | 27° – 41° |
| April | 55° | 27° | 1.3" | 10.7" | 10 | 36° – 46° |
| May | 65° | 35° | 2.0" | 4.3" | 11 | 44° – 54° |
| June | 73° | 42° | 2.1" | 0.2" | 12 | 52° – 65° |
| July | 83° | 47° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 55° – 71° |
| August | 82° | 45° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 57° – 67° |
| September | 72° | 37° | 1.0" | 0.2" | 6 | 51° – 59° |
| October | 58° | 28° | 1.0" | 3.6" | 7 | 35° – 49° |
| November | 44° | 19° | 0.6" | 7.7" | 7 | 22° – 40° |
| December | 34° | 11° | 0.6" | 12.2" | 7 | 16° – 27° |
| Year | 57° | 28° | 12.3" | 64.7" | 93 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 22° to 40°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Alder’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Alder’s center.
- Snow: Virginia City, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Laurin 2ne, MT, 3 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Alder’s climate
What is the weather like in Alder?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 65 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Alder in winter?
December nights average 11°. About 184 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Alder get?
About 65 inches in a normal winter at Virginia City, MT, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Alder?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 47°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Laurin 2ne, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Alder?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by September 22, about 117 frost-free days, at Laurin 2ne, MT.
What growing zone is Alder in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Alder?
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.
Is Alder getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Alder.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.