Churchill gets about 91 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 84°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 71° apart. Its yearly precipitation falls short of 94% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside for June, August and September, when highs sit at 73–84°.
A year in Churchill at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Churchill’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Churchill’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Churchill feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 112 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 26 and the first by September 16. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bozeman Gallatin Fld, MT, 8 miles from the town’s center, 150 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Churchill’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −20°. 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 14 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 Churchill
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 Gallatin Fld, MT.
Living with Churchill’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
112 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 16.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Churchill from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (31%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 31%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Churchill and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Churchill yet.
Climates most like Churchill’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Churchill, MT | 15° | 84° | 14" | 91" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
| Hailey, ID | 10° | 84° | 14" | 102" |
| Cheyenne, WY | 16° | 85° | 15" | 65" |
| Durango, CO | 12° | 86° | 18" | 64" |
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 Churchill averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.2°).
A bigger shift than in 65% 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 Churchill compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Churchill’s place among Montana’s.
Churchill weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Churchill’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° | 15° | 0.4" | 12.7" | 11 | 30 | 15° – 32° |
| February | 38° | 16° | 0.4" | 13.0" | 10 | 24 | 12° – 37° |
| March | 47° | 24° | 0.8" | 13.1" | 12 | 16 | 22° – 42° |
| April | 56° | 31° | 1.5" | 12.9" | 14 | 4 | 38° – 47° |
| May | 65° | 39° | 2.2" | 3.6" | 15 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| June | 74° | 45° | 2.7" | 0.8" | 15 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| July | 84° | 51° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 58° – 75° |
| August | 84° | 49° | 1.0" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| September | 73° | 41° | 1.2" | 0.4" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| October | 58° | 32° | 1.2" | 6.0" | 11 | 3 | 37° – 50° |
| November | 43° | 22° | 0.6" | 12.5" | 10 | 15 | 21° – 42° |
| December | 34° | 14° | 0.4" | 16.2" | 11 | 26 | 16° – 30° |
| Year | 57° | 31° | 13.6" | 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 37°. May is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Churchill’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 Churchill’s center.
- Snow: Bozeman Montana State Univ, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bozeman Gallatin Fld, MT, 8 miles from the town’s center, 150 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 Churchill’s climate
What is the weather like in Churchill?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 91 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 56% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Churchill in winter?
December nights average 14°. About 198 nights a year reach 32° or below and 24 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Churchill 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 Churchill?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 51°. About 23 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Bozeman Gallatin Fld, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Churchill?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 26 and the first fall frost by September 16, about 112 frost-free days, at Bozeman Gallatin Fld, MT.
What growing zone is Churchill in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Churchill?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Churchill getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Churchill.
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.