Photo: WikiCapa (Uploads) · Public domainFew U.S. towns have cooler summers than Butte-Silver Bow
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 14°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 94% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.6°, most of all in January. Central heating does most of its work from October to May, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Butte-Silver Bow at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Butte-Silver Bow’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Butte-Silver Bow’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Butte-Silver Bow feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 83 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 13 and the first by September 5. Frost and day counts come from Butte Bert Mooney Airport, 9 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Butte-Silver Bow’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −28°. 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 Divide, MT, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 59 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Butte-Silver Bow
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September through June.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Butte Bert Mooney Airport.
Living with Butte-Silver Bow’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
83 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by Jun 13 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 413 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Butte-Silver Bow and its neighbors
Wise River has the coldest January nights next door (13°, 1° colder). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Butte-Silver Bow’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butte-Silver Bow, MT | 14° | 79° | 14" | 15" |
| Ruidoso, NM | 22° | 82° | 20" | 26" |
| Deschutes River Woods, OR | 24° | 84° | 13" | 22" |
| Alamosa, CO | 3° | 82° | 8" | 30" |
| Dickinson, ND | 5° | 83° | 16" | 35" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Butte-Silver Bow averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°).
A bigger shift than in 64% 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 Butte-Silver Bow compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Butte-Silver Bow’s place among Montana’s.
Butte-Silver Bow weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Butte-Silver Bow’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Divide, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 14° | 0.5" | 2.4" | 3 | 15° – 29° |
| February | 35° | 14° | 0.6" | 2.0" | 3 | 15° – 32° |
| March | 43° | 21° | 0.8" | 2.6" | 4 | 24° – 38° |
| April | 50° | 27° | 1.5" | 0.8" | 5 | 33° – 43° |
| May | 59° | 35° | 2.3" | 0.1" | 8 | 42° – 52° |
| June | 68° | 41° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 50° – 61° |
| July | 79° | 47° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 53° – 69° |
| August | 78° | 45° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 55° – 65° |
| September | 67° | 38° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 4 | 49° – 57° |
| October | 53° | 29° | 1.1" | 0.9" | 4 | 33° – 47° |
| November | 39° | 20° | 0.7" | 1.7" | 4 | 22° – 38° |
| December | 31° | 13° | 0.6" | 4.6" | 3 | 16° – 28° |
| Year | 53° | 29° | 14.3" | 15.2" | 59 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 15° to 32°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Butte-Silver Bow’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 Butte-Silver Bow’s center.
- Snow: Divide, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Butte Bert Mooney Airport, 9 miles from the town’s center, 820 ft lower; no station nearby passes every check; this is the nearest one in the same valley, flagged above.
- 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 Butte-Silver Bow’s climate
What is the weather like in Butte-Silver Bow?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 15 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Butte-Silver Bow in winter?
December nights average 13°. About 220 nights a year reach 32° or below and 31 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Butte-Silver Bow get?
About 15 inches in a normal winter at Divide, MT, most of it in December.
How hot does it get in Butte-Silver Bow?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 47°. About 8 days a year reach 90° (Butte Bert Mooney Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Butte-Silver Bow?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 13 and the first fall frost by September 5, about 83 frost-free days, at Butte Bert Mooney Airport.
What growing zone is Butte-Silver Bow in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −28°.
What is the best time of year to visit Butte-Silver Bow?
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 Butte-Silver Bow getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Butte-Silver Bow.
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.