Few U.S. towns get less rain and snow than Cascade Colony: 12 inches a year
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 15°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 85% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.2° higher. Garden planting can start around June 2; autumn frost returns near September 10.
A year in Cascade Colony at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Cascade Colony’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Cascade Colony’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Cascade Colony feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 96 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 2 and the first by September 10. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sun Rvr 4 S, MT, 5 miles from the town’s center, 140 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Cascade Colony’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −26°. 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 46 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Simms 1 Ne, MT, is heaviest from March through April, about 7 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 12 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 85 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Cascade Colony
98% 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 Sun Rvr 4 S, MT.
Living with Cascade Colony’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
96 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by Jun 2 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 10.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 2.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Cascade Colony from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 37%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Cascade Colony and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Cascade Colony yet.
Climates most like Cascade Colony’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cascade Colony, MT | 15° | 84° | 12" | 46" |
| Cody, WY | 14° | 85° | 11" | 45" |
| Los Alamos, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 42" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
| Rigby, ID | 12° | 85° | 12" | 66" |
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 Cascade Colony averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.9°).
A smaller 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 Cascade Colony compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Cascade Colony’s place among Montana’s.
Cascade Colony weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Cascade Colony’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Simms 1 Ne, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 15° | 0.3" | 6.5" | 7 | 13 | 13° – 37° |
| February | 38° | 16° | 0.4" | 6.2" | 6 | 11 | 0° – 39° |
| March | 47° | 22° | 0.5" | 7.3" | 7 | 7 | 18° – 44° |
| April | 56° | 30° | 1.5" | 7.4" | 9 | 4 | 38° – 48° |
| May | 65° | 38° | 2.1" | 1.4" | 10 | 1 | 47° – 56° |
| June | 73° | 46° | 2.6" | 0.6" | 11 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| July | 84° | 51° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 74° |
| August | 83° | 49° | 1.0" | 0.3" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| September | 72° | 42° | 1.2" | 0.2" | 6 | 0 | 52° – 63° |
| October | 58° | 32° | 0.8" | 3.2" | 6 | 2 | 36° – 52° |
| November | 44° | 23° | 0.5" | 6.4" | 6 | 7 | 22° – 44° |
| December | 36° | 17° | 0.4" | 6.4" | 6 | 10 | 14° – 36° |
| Year | 58° | 32° | 12.2" | 45.9" | 85 | 55 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 0° to 39°. May is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Cascade Colony’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 Cascade Colony’s center.
- Snow: Simms 1 Ne, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sun Rvr 4 S, MT, 5 miles from the town’s center, 140 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 Cascade Colony’s climate
What is the weather like in Cascade Colony?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 46 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Cascade Colony in winter?
January nights average 15°. About 170 nights a year reach 32° or below and 25 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How much snow does Cascade Colony get?
About 46 inches in a normal winter at Simms 1 Ne, MT, heaviest from March through April, about 7 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 55 days a year.
How hot does it get in Cascade Colony?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 51°. About 18 days a year reach 90° (Sun Rvr 4 S, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Cascade Colony?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 2 and the first fall frost by September 10, about 96 frost-free days, at Sun Rvr 4 S, MT.
What growing zone is Cascade Colony in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −26°.
What is the best time of year to visit Cascade Colony?
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 Cascade Colony getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Cascade Colony.
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.