Belknap’s winters are colder but less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Belknap at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Belknap’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Belknap’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Belknap feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 150 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 7 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Thompson Falls Ph, MT, 5 miles from the town’s center, 450 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Belknap’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −5°. 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 15 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Thompson Falls Ph, MT, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 27 inches a year; November is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 158 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Belknap
94% 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 Thompson Falls Ph, MT.
Living with Belknap’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
150 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 7 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 3.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Belknap from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (70%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Belknap and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Belknap yet.
Climates most like Belknap’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belknap, MT | 21° | 83° | 27" | 15" |
| Eastpointe, MI | 19° | 83° | 34" | 28" |
| Ruidoso, NM | 22° | 82° | 20" | 26" |
| Bowling Green, OH | 19° | 85° | 35" | 21" |
| La Grande, OR | 25° | 84° | 18" | 9.4" |
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 Belknap averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
A smaller shift than in 62% 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 Belknap compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Belknap’s place among Montana’s.
Belknap weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Belknap’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Thompson Falls Ph, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 21° | 3.0" | 2.5" | 18 | 20° – 32° |
| February | 38° | 22° | 2.4" | 0.6" | 15 | 19° – 36° |
| March | 47° | 26° | 2.5" | 1.2" | 16 | 30° – 43° |
| April | 56° | 31° | 2.1" | 0.3" | 15 | 38° – 50° |
| May | 66° | 38° | 2.2" | 0.0" | 14 | 47° – 57° |
| June | 73° | 44° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 54° – 66° |
| July | 83° | 48° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 55° – 72° |
| August | 83° | 46° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 5 | 60° – 68° |
| September | 72° | 40° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 52° – 62° |
| October | 56° | 32° | 2.6" | 0.7" | 13 | 38° – 51° |
| November | 40° | 27° | 3.3" | 2.5" | 17 | 27° – 39° |
| December | 32° | 21° | 3.3" | 7.5" | 17 | 20° – 31° |
| Year | 56° | 33° | 26.8" | 15.3" | 158 |
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 8°.
Where Belknap’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 Belknap’s center.
- Snow: Thompson Falls Ph, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Thompson Falls Ph, MT, 5 miles from the town’s center, 450 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 Belknap’s climate
What is the weather like in Belknap?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 21°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 54% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Belknap in winter?
January nights average 21°. About 148 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Belknap get?
About 15 inches in a normal winter at Thompson Falls Ph, MT, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Belknap?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 48°. About 39 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Thompson Falls Ph, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Belknap?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 7 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 150 frost-free days, at Thompson Falls Ph, MT.
What growing zone is Belknap in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Belknap?
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 Belknap getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Belknap.
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.