Photo: Aualliso · CC BY-SA 4.0Anaconda-Deer Lodge County has some of the coolest summers among U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 15°. The wettest month is May; the driest is August. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 85% of U.S. towns. If you like long walks, July and August offer highs of 66–67°.
A year in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Anaconda-Deer Lodge County’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Anaconda-Deer Lodge County’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze is possible in every month
About 273 nights a year fall to 32° or below, and 35 to 0° or below. Frost and day counts come from Wise Rvr 3 Wnw, MT, 21 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Anaconda-Deer Lodge County’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. 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 35 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from every month of the year.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Wise Rvr 3 Wnw, MT.
Living with Anaconda-Deer Lodge County’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 4b, and frost can come in any month. The longest frost-free stretch in half of years is about 27 days.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August. 409 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (68%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Anaconda-Deer Lodge County and its neighbors
Butte-Silver Bow has the coldest January nights next door (14°, 1° colder) and Butte-Silver Bow the hottest July afternoons (79°, 12° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.6°).
A bigger shift than in 65% 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 Anaconda-Deer Lodge County compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Anaconda-Deer Lodge County’s place among Montana’s.
Anaconda-Deer Lodge County weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Anaconda-Deer Lodge County’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27° | 15° | 2.4" | 14° – 27° |
| February | 29° | 13° | 2.7" | 15° – 29° |
| March | 35° | 17° | 3.3" | 20° – 33° |
| April | 41° | 21° | 4.1" | 26° – 38° |
| May | 49° | 29° | 4.4" | 34° – 44° |
| June | 56° | 35° | 4.1" | 41° – 53° |
| July | 67° | 42° | 1.7" | 44° – 61° |
| August | 66° | 42° | 1.7" | 47° – 57° |
| September | 56° | 36° | 2.1" | 42° – 51° |
| October | 41° | 27° | 2.8" | 27° – 41° |
| November | 31° | 18° | 2.9" | 17° – 33° |
| December | 26° | 13° | 2.6" | 13° – 24° |
| Year | 44° | 26° | 34.7" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. July swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 44° to 61°. September is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Anaconda-Deer Lodge County’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 Anaconda-Deer Lodge County’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wise Rvr 3 Wnw, MT, 21 miles from the town’s center, 810 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Anaconda-Deer Lodge County’s climate
What is the weather like in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County?
A typical July afternoon reaches 67°, a January night drops to 15°. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 47 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County in winter?
February nights average 13°. About 273 nights a year reach 32° or below and 35 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How hot does it get in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County?
July, with a typical high of 67° and a low of 42°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Wise Rvr 3 Wnw, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County?
There is no reliable frost-free season: at Wise Rvr 3 Wnw, MT, every month has nights at 32° or below, about 273 a year. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 27 days.
What growing zone is Anaconda-Deer Lodge County in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Anaconda-Deer Lodge County?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Anaconda-Deer Lodge County getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Anaconda-Deer Lodge County.
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.