Precipitation in Canyon Creek trails that of 95% of U.S. towns: 13 inches a year
Expect July afternoons of about 83°. Its January nights bite harder than in 88% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. Garden planting can start around May 9; autumn frost returns near September 30.
A year in Canyon Creek at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Canyon Creek’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Canyon Creek’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Canyon Creek feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 142 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by September 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Helena Rgnl Airport, 20 miles from the town’s center, 490 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Canyon Creek’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −22°. 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 13 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and January the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Canyon Creek
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September 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 Helena Rgnl Airport.
Living with Canyon Creek’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
142 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 9 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Canyon Creek from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 33%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Canyon Creek and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Canyon Creek yet.
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 Canyon Creek averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 54% 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 Canyon Creek compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Canyon Creek’s place among Montana’s.
Canyon Creek weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Canyon Creek’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 14° | 0.5" | 14° – 32° |
| February | 35° | 15° | 0.6" | 7° – 34° |
| March | 45° | 22° | 0.7" | 22° – 40° |
| April | 54° | 29° | 1.3" | 36° – 46° |
| May | 63° | 36° | 1.9" | 45° – 54° |
| June | 72° | 43° | 2.7" | 53° – 64° |
| July | 83° | 48° | 1.3" | 55° – 73° |
| August | 81° | 46° | 1.0" | 57° – 68° |
| September | 71° | 38° | 1.0" | 51° – 59° |
| October | 55° | 30° | 0.9" | 35° – 49° |
| November | 41° | 21° | 0.7" | 23° – 39° |
| December | 32° | 14° | 0.6" | 14° – 29° |
| Year | 55° | 30° | 13.0" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 7° to 34°. September is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Canyon Creek’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 Canyon Creek’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Helena Rgnl Airport, 20 miles from the town’s center, 490 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 Canyon Creek’s climate
What is the weather like in Canyon Creek?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 14°. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 76% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Canyon Creek in winter?
January nights average 14°. About 170 nights a year reach 32° or below and 17 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 14°.
How hot does it get in Canyon Creek?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 48°. About 27 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Helena Rgnl Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Canyon Creek?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by September 30, about 142 frost-free days, at Helena Rgnl Airport.
What growing zone is Canyon Creek in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −22°.
What is the best time of year to visit Canyon Creek?
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 Canyon Creek getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Canyon Creek.
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.