Photo: Chris06 · CC BY-SA 3.0Bozeman gets about 91 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 91 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Bozeman at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bozeman’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bozeman’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Bozeman feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 116 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 26 and the first by September 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bozeman Montana State Univ, MT, 1.4 miles from the city’s center point, 110 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bozeman’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 91 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bozeman Montana State Univ, MT, falls mostly in 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 138 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Bozeman
97% 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 Bozeman Montana State Univ, MT.
Living with Bozeman’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
116 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 26 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 22.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 67 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bozeman from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 34%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bozeman and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bozeman yet.
Climates most like Bozeman’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bozeman, MT | 13° | 83° | 17" | 91" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
| Hailey, ID | 10° | 84° | 14" | 102" |
| Monument, CO | 14° | 83° | 22" | 121" |
| Ranchettes, WY | 16° | 85° | 16" | 65" |
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 Bozeman averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 74% 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 Bozeman compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bozeman’s place among Montana’s.
Bozeman weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bozeman’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bozeman Montana State Univ, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 13° | 0.7" | 12.7" | 11 | 30 | 15° – 30° |
| February | 37° | 15° | 0.7" | 13.0" | 10 | 24 | 12° – 36° |
| March | 46° | 23° | 1.1" | 13.1" | 12 | 16 | 22° – 41° |
| April | 54° | 29° | 2.2" | 12.9" | 14 | 4 | 36° – 46° |
| May | 64° | 38° | 2.7" | 3.6" | 15 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| June | 73° | 44° | 2.9" | 0.8" | 15 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| July | 83° | 50° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 73° |
| August | 83° | 48° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 69° |
| September | 72° | 40° | 1.4" | 0.4" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| October | 58° | 31° | 1.6" | 6.0" | 11 | 3 | 36° – 50° |
| November | 43° | 20° | 1.0" | 12.5" | 10 | 15 | 20° – 41° |
| December | 33° | 13° | 0.8" | 16.2" | 11 | 26 | 15° – 29° |
| Year | 57° | 30° | 17.4" | 91.3" | 138 | 118 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 36°. May is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Bozeman’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 Bozeman’s center.
- Snow: Bozeman Montana State Univ, MT (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bozeman Montana State Univ, MT, 1.4 miles from the city’s center point, 110 ft higher; 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 Bozeman’s climate
What is the weather like in Bozeman?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 91 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bozeman in winter?
December nights average 13°. About 178 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 15°.
How much snow does Bozeman get?
About 91 inches in a normal winter at Bozeman Montana State Univ, MT, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 118 days a year.
How hot does it get in Bozeman?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 50°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Bozeman Montana State Univ, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Bozeman?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 26 and the first fall frost by September 22, about 116 frost-free days, at Bozeman Montana State Univ, MT.
What growing zone is Bozeman in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bozeman?
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 Bozeman getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 74% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bozeman.
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.