Photo: A-Reck · CC BY-SA 3.0Dry weather: only 18 inches of rain and melted snow a year in East Missoula, less than in 90% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 17°. By January nights alone, it runs colder than 73% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.2°, most of all in January. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to April, when means dip under 50°.
A year in East Missoula at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about East Missoula’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with East Missoula’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in East Missoula feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 143 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 10 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Missoula 2 Ne, MT, 1.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts East Missoula’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. 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 18 inches a year; June is the wettest month and July 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 East Missoula
95% 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 Missoula 2 Ne, MT.
Living with East Missoula’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
143 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 10 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 0.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in East Missoula from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (72%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →East Missoula and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around East Missoula yet.
Climates most like East Missoula’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Missoula, MT | 17° | 84° | 18" | 43" |
| Los Alamos, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 42" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
| Sturgis, SD | 14° | 85° | 22" | 48" |
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 East Missoula averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.7°).
A smaller 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 East Missoula compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with East Missoula’s place among Montana’s.
East Missoula weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at East Missoula’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 | 33° | 17° | 1.6" | 9.9" | 13 | 20 | 15° – 32° |
| February | 37° | 19° | 1.4" | 8.5" | 11 | 14 | 17° – 35° |
| March | 48° | 25° | 1.3" | 5.0" | 11 | 5 | 29° – 42° |
| April | 56° | 30° | 1.7" | 1.3" | 11 | 0 | 39° – 49° |
| May | 66° | 38° | 2.1" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| June | 73° | 44° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| July | 84° | 49° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 57° – 74° |
| August | 83° | 47° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| September | 72° | 40° | 1.2" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 61° |
| October | 56° | 31° | 1.6" | 0.9" | 10 | 1 | 36° – 51° |
| November | 40° | 24° | 1.7" | 5.4" | 11 | 5 | 26° – 38° |
| December | 32° | 17° | 1.7" | 11.6" | 13 | 16 | 18° – 29° |
| Year | 56° | 32° | 18.4" | 43.0" | 124 | 61 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 17° to 35°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where East Missoula’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 East Missoula’s center.
- Snow: Missoula International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Missoula 2 Ne, MT, 1.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 East Missoula’s climate
What is the weather like in East Missoula?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 73% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 63% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in East Missoula in winter?
December nights average 17°. About 163 nights a year reach 32° or below and 5 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 18°.
How much snow does East Missoula 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 East Missoula?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 49°. About 22 days a year reach 90° (Missoula 2 Ne, MT).
When is the first and last frost in East Missoula?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 10 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 143 frost-free days, at Missoula 2 Ne, MT.
What growing zone is East Missoula in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit East Missoula?
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 East Missoula getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 65% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in East Missoula.
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.