Big Stone Colony is drier than 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches of precipitation a year
Sunny July days climb to about 83°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 86% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.4° above 1901–2000. Garden planting can start around May 19; autumn frost returns near September 24.
A year in Big Stone Colony at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Stone Colony’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Stone Colony’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Big Stone 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 19 and the first by September 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Great Falls International Airport, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Stone 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 66 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Great Falls International Airport, falls mostly in January, February, March, April, November and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 98 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Big Stone 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 Great Falls International Airport.
Living with Big Stone 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 19 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.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big Stone Colony from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (60%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 24%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Big Stone Colony and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Big Stone Colony yet.
Climates most like Big Stone 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Stone Colony, MT | 15° | 83° | 16" | 66" |
| Ranchettes, WY | 16° | 85° | 16" | 65" |
| Rexburg, ID | 12° | 84° | 13" | 70" |
| Gleneagle, CO | 14° | 84° | 21" | 55" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
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 Big Stone Colony averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+5.0°).
A bigger shift than in 50% 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 Big Stone Colony compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Stone Colony’s place among Montana’s.
Big Stone Colony weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Big Stone Colony’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Great Falls International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 15° | 0.5" | 9.2" | 7 | 14 | 13° – 36° |
| February | 37° | 15° | 0.6" | 10.1" | 8 | 11 | 0° – 38° |
| March | 46° | 22° | 0.8" | 10.1" | 8 | 8 | 18° – 44° |
| April | 55° | 30° | 1.8" | 9.4" | 10 | 3 | 37° – 47° |
| May | 65° | 39° | 2.7" | 1.9" | 11 | 1 | 47° – 57° |
| June | 73° | 46° | 3.0" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| July | 83° | 52° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 76° |
| August | 83° | 50° | 1.1" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| September | 72° | 43° | 1.6" | 0.8" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| October | 57° | 33° | 1.2" | 5.2" | 7 | 3 | 36° – 52° |
| November | 44° | 23° | 0.6" | 9.2" | 7 | 8 | 22° – 44° |
| December | 36° | 16° | 0.6" | 9.6" | 7 | 11 | 14° – 35° |
| Year | 57° | 32° | 15.8" | 66.1" | 98 | 60 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 0° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Big Stone 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 Big Stone Colony’s center.
- Snow: Great Falls International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Great Falls International Airport, 10 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 Big Stone Colony’s climate
What is the weather like in Big Stone Colony?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 66 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Stone Colony in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 168 nights a year reach 32° or below and 21 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How much snow does Big Stone Colony get?
About 66 inches in a normal winter at Great Falls International Airport, most of it in January, February, March, April, November and December, with snow on the ground about 60 days a year.
How hot does it get in Big Stone Colony?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 52°. About 22 days a year reach 90° (Great Falls International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Big Stone Colony?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by September 24, about 126 frost-free days, at Great Falls International Airport.
What growing zone is Big Stone 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 Big Stone 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 Big Stone Colony getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Big Stone 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.