Photo: Blakerasmussen · Public domainAntelope has some of the coldest winter nights among U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 82°. Rain follows the seasons: June brings about 12 times as much as February. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 94% of U.S. towns. The outdoor season runs from June to September, with highs of 71–82°.
A year in Antelope at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Antelope’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Antelope’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Antelope feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 111 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 25 and the first by September 14. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Plentywood, MT, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Antelope’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −31°. 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 31 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Raymond Border Stn, MT, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 66 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Antelope
97% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Plentywood, MT.
Living with Antelope’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
111 frost-free days in zone 3b. The last frost comes by May 25 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 14.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 59% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Antelope from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Antelope and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Antelope yet.
Climates most like Antelope’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antelope, MT | 1° | 82° | 14" | 31" |
| Alamosa, CO | 3° | 82° | 8" | 30" |
| Jamestown, ND | 1° | 82° | 21" | 46" |
| Aberdeen, SD | 3° | 84° | 22" | 43" |
| East Grand Forks, MN | −2° | 81° | 23" | 49" |
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 Antelope averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.7°).
A bigger shift than in 66% 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 Antelope compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Antelope’s place among Montana’s.
Antelope weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Antelope’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Raymond Border Stn, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21° | 1° | 0.4" | 7.7" | 4 | −1° – 25° |
| February | 26° | 5° | 0.3" | 4.6" | 4 | −7° – 29° |
| March | 39° | 17° | 0.6" | 4.2" | 4 | 12° – 40° |
| April | 55° | 29° | 1.0" | 2.0" | 6 | 32° – 48° |
| May | 67° | 40° | 2.1" | 0.1" | 8 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 75° | 50° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 57° – 68° |
| July | 82° | 54° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 61° – 75° |
| August | 82° | 52° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 61° – 73° |
| September | 71° | 42° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 5 | 51° – 63° |
| October | 55° | 30° | 0.8" | 1.5" | 5 | 34° – 48° |
| November | 37° | 17° | 0.5" | 2.7" | 3 | 14° – 38° |
| December | 25° | 5° | 0.4" | 8.5" | 3 | 3° – 25° |
| Year | 53° | 28° | 14.2" | 31.3" | 66 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -7° to 29°. May is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Antelope’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 Antelope’s center.
- Snow: Raymond Border Stn, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Plentywood, MT, 8 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 Antelope’s climate
What is the weather like in Antelope?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 1°, and about 31 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 56 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Antelope in winter?
January nights average 1°. About 204 nights a year reach 32° or below and 47 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged −1°.
How much snow does Antelope get?
About 31 inches in a normal winter at Raymond Border Stn, MT, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Antelope?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 54°. About 21 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Plentywood, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Antelope?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 25 and the first fall frost by September 14, about 111 frost-free days, at Plentywood, MT.
What growing zone is Antelope in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −31°.
What is the best time of year to visit Antelope?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Antelope getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Antelope.
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.