Ayers Ranch Colony’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Ayers Ranch Colony at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ayers Ranch Colony’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ayers Ranch Colony’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Ayers Ranch Colony feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 126 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first by September 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Grass Range, MT, 7 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ayers Ranch Colony’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −23°. 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 50 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Grass Range, MT, falls mostly in January, March and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 88 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ayers Ranch Colony
96% 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 Grass Range, MT.
Living with Ayers Ranch Colony’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
126 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 20 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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 1.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 49% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ayers Ranch Colony from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ayers Ranch Colony and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ayers Ranch Colony yet.
Climates most like Ayers Ranch Colony’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ayers Ranch Colony, MT | 12° | 83° | 17" | 50" |
| Gleneagle, CO | 14° | 84° | 21" | 55" |
| Gillette, WY | 13° | 86° | 16" | 56" |
| Rexburg, ID | 12° | 84° | 13" | 70" |
| Sturgis, SD | 14° | 85° | 22" | 48" |
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 Ayers Ranch Colony averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.7°).
A bigger shift than in 55% 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 Ayers Ranch Colony compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ayers Ranch Colony’s place among Montana’s.
Ayers Ranch Colony weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ayers Ranch Colony’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Grass Range, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 12° | 0.5" | 8.7" | 6 | 17 | 12° – 35° |
| February | 38° | 14° | 0.5" | 7.8" | 6 | 13 | 3° – 38° |
| March | 47° | 22° | 0.8" | 9.2" | 7 | 8 | 19° – 42° |
| April | 56° | 29° | 1.8" | 4.8" | 8 | 2 | 36° – 46° |
| May | 65° | 38° | 3.1" | 0.9" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| June | 74° | 47° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| July | 83° | 53° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 75° |
| August | 83° | 51° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| September | 72° | 42° | 1.4" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| October | 58° | 31° | 1.2" | 3.4" | 7 | 1 | 37° – 49° |
| November | 45° | 21° | 0.7" | 6.4" | 5 | 8 | 22° – 42° |
| December | 36° | 13° | 0.6" | 8.8" | 5 | 15 | 13° – 34° |
| Year | 58° | 31° | 16.8" | 50.1" | 88 | 64 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 3° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Ayers Ranch Colony’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 Ayers Ranch Colony’s center.
- Snow: Grass Range, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Grass Range, MT, 7 miles from the town’s center, 130 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 Ayers Ranch Colony’s climate
What is the weather like in Ayers Ranch Colony?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ayers Ranch Colony in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 171 nights a year reach 32° or below and 18 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Ayers Ranch Colony get?
About 50 inches in a normal winter at Grass Range, MT, most of it in January, March and December, with snow on the ground about 64 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ayers Ranch Colony?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 53°. About 14 days a year reach 90° (Grass Range, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Ayers Ranch Colony?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by September 24, about 126 frost-free days, at Grass Range, MT.
What growing zone is Ayers Ranch Colony in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ayers Ranch Colony?
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 Ayers Ranch Colony getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ayers Ranch Colony.
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.