Photo: JERRYE & ROY KLOTZ MD · CC BY-SA 3.0Big Timber’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 55 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Big Timber at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Big Timber’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Big Timber’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Big Timber feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 133 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 14 and the first by September 26. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Big Timber, MT, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Big Timber’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. 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 55 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Big Timber, MT, falls mostly in February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 82 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Big Timber
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 Big Timber, MT.
Living with Big Timber’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
133 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 14 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 26.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 0.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Big Timber from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 11%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Big Timber and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Big Timber yet.
Climates most like Big Timber’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 Timber, MT | 18° | 85° | 14" | 55" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
| The Pinery, CO | 17° | 86° | 17" | 58" |
| Cheyenne, WY | 16° | 85° | 15" | 65" |
| Pocatello, ID | 19° | 87° | 15" | 64" |
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 Timber averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°).
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 Big Timber compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Big Timber’s place among Montana’s.
Big Timber weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Big Timber’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Big Timber, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 38° | 18° | 0.4" | 7.1" | 5 | 18° – 36° |
| February | 40° | 18° | 0.5" | 10.8" | 4 | 11° – 40° |
| March | 49° | 24° | 0.8" | 9.1" | 6 | 26° – 45° |
| April | 56° | 31° | 1.7" | 3.6" | 9 | 37° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 39° | 2.6" | 0.6" | 11 | 47° – 57° |
| June | 75° | 47° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 56° – 66° |
| July | 85° | 52° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 59° – 75° |
| August | 84° | 50° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 5 | 62° – 72° |
| September | 74° | 42° | 1.2" | 0.5" | 6 | 54° – 64° |
| October | 60° | 33° | 1.2" | 4.8" | 7 | 38° – 52° |
| November | 46° | 24° | 0.6" | 7.9" | 5 | 27° – 47° |
| December | 37° | 17° | 0.5" | 10.2" | 4 | 18° – 35° |
| Year | 59° | 33° | 14.3" | 54.6" | 82 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 40°. May is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Big Timber’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 Timber’s center.
- Snow: Big Timber, MT (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Big Timber, MT, 0.2 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 Timber’s climate
What is the weather like in Big Timber?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 55 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Big Timber in winter?
December nights average 17°. About 153 nights a year reach 32° or below and 14 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does Big Timber get?
About 55 inches in a normal winter at Big Timber, MT, most of it in February and December.
How hot does it get in Big Timber?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 52°. About 27 days a year reach 90° (Big Timber, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Big Timber?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 14 and the first fall frost by September 26, about 133 frost-free days, at Big Timber, MT.
What growing zone is Big Timber in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Big Timber?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Big Timber 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 Big Timber.
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.