Carlton Community Church · Photo: Magicpiano · CC BY-SA 4.0Few U.S. towns get less rain and snow than Carlton: 12 inches a year
Nights in January average 18°. Precipitation peaks in June and eases off in February. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 70% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 22; autumn frost returns near September 19.
A year in Carlton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Carlton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Carlton’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Carlton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 115 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by September 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Stevensville, MT, 12 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Carlton’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −9°. 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 43 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Missoula International Airport, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 124 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Carlton
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 Stevensville, MT.
Living with Carlton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
115 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by May 22 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Carlton from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (54%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Carlton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Carlton yet.
Climates most like Carlton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlton, MT | 18° | 87° | 12" | 43" |
| Chubbuck, ID | 17° | 88° | 12" | 39" |
| Los Alamos, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 42" |
| Altamont, OR | 22° | 86° | 13" | 52" |
| Glenwood Springs, CO | 14° | 87° | 15" | 39" |
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 Carlton averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A smaller shift than in 84% 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 Carlton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Carlton’s place among Montana’s.
Carlton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Carlton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Missoula International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 18° | 0.8" | 9.9" | 13 | 20 | 16° – 34° |
| February | 39° | 20° | 0.8" | 8.5" | 11 | 14 | 19° – 36° |
| March | 51° | 27° | 0.8" | 5.0" | 11 | 5 | 30° – 44° |
| April | 59° | 32° | 1.1" | 1.3" | 11 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| May | 69° | 39° | 1.5" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 75° | 46° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 87° | 51° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 59° – 76° |
| August | 85° | 49° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 63° – 70° |
| September | 74° | 41° | 0.9" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 63° |
| October | 58° | 32° | 1.1" | 0.9" | 10 | 1 | 39° – 50° |
| November | 42° | 24° | 1.0" | 5.4" | 11 | 5 | 27° – 39° |
| December | 33° | 18° | 1.0" | 11.6" | 13 | 16 | 20° – 31° |
| Year | 59° | 33° | 12.3" | 43.0" | 124 | 61 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 16° to 34°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Carlton’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 Carlton’s center.
- Snow: Missoula International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Stevensville, MT, 12 miles from the town’s center, 190 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 Carlton’s climate
What is the weather like in Carlton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 70% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Carlton in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 175 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Carlton get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter at Missoula International Airport, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 61 days a year.
How hot does it get in Carlton?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 51°. About 28 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Stevensville, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Carlton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by September 19, about 115 frost-free days, at Stevensville, MT.
What growing zone is Carlton in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −9°.
What is the best time of year to visit Carlton?
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 Carlton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Carlton.
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.