Arlee is drier than 90% of U.S. towns: 19 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 85°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 66% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.4° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 12 to October 2.
A year in Arlee at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Arlee’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Arlee’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Arlee feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 142 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by October 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Saint Ignatius, MT, 10 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Arlee’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −10°. 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 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Missoula International Airport, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 19 inches a year; June is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 124 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Arlee
95% 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 Saint Ignatius, MT.
Living with Arlee’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
142 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 12 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September. 1.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Arlee from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (62%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Arlee and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Arlee yet.
Climates most like Arlee’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arlee, MT | 19° | 85° | 19" | 43" |
| Los Alamos, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 42" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
| Cheney, WA | 24° | 84° | 17" | 45" |
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 Arlee averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.1°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Arlee compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Arlee’s place among Montana’s.
Arlee weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Arlee’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Missoula International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 19° | 1.4" | 9.9" | 13 | 20 | 16° – 33° |
| February | 38° | 20° | 1.2" | 8.5" | 11 | 14 | 19° – 36° |
| March | 49° | 27° | 1.4" | 5.0" | 11 | 5 | 30° – 43° |
| April | 57° | 32° | 1.9" | 1.3" | 11 | 0 | 40° – 52° |
| May | 67° | 40° | 2.4" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| June | 74° | 46° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| July | 85° | 51° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 76° |
| August | 84° | 49° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 62° – 69° |
| September | 73° | 42° | 1.3" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| October | 57° | 33° | 1.7" | 0.9" | 10 | 1 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 41° | 25° | 1.7" | 5.4" | 11 | 5 | 26° – 40° |
| December | 33° | 19° | 1.4" | 11.6" | 13 | 16 | 20° – 31° |
| Year | 58° | 34° | 19.0" | 43.0" | 124 | 61 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 19° to 36°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Arlee’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 Arlee’s center.
- Snow: Missoula International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Saint Ignatius, MT, 10 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft lower; 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 Arlee’s climate
What is the weather like in Arlee?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 19°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 66% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 54% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Arlee in winter?
January nights average 19°. About 152 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Arlee get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Missoula International Airport, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 61 days a year.
How hot does it get in Arlee?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 51°. About 20 days a year reach 90° (Saint Ignatius, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Arlee?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by October 2, about 142 frost-free days, at Saint Ignatius, MT.
What growing zone is Arlee in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −10°.
What is the best time of year to visit Arlee?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Arlee getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Arlee.
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.