Photo: J.B. Chandler · CC BY-SA 3.0Ekalaka sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for winter warmth
Sunny July days climb to about 84°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in May and the lightest in December. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 91% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 20, with the first autumn frost due around September 23.
A year in Ekalaka at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ekalaka’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ekalaka’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Ekalaka feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 126 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 20 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ekalaka, MT, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ekalaka’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −23°. 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 48 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ekalaka, MT, is heaviest from February through March, about 9 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; May is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 95 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ekalaka
93% 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 Ekalaka, MT.
Living with Ekalaka’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
126 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 20 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 37% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ekalaka from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ekalaka and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ekalaka yet.
Climates most like Ekalaka’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ekalaka, MT | 9° | 84° | 17" | 48" |
| Mandan, ND | 3° | 84° | 18" | 51" |
| Durango, CO | 12° | 86° | 18" | 64" |
| Huron, SD | 6° | 86° | 23" | 44" |
| Rexburg, ID | 12° | 84° | 13" | 70" |
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 Ekalaka averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.4°).
A bigger shift than in 67% 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 Ekalaka compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ekalaka’s place among Montana’s.
Ekalaka weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ekalaka’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ekalaka, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 9° | 0.5" | 6.5" | 7 | 24 | 9° – 32° |
| February | 33° | 11° | 0.6" | 9.0" | 7 | 20 | 4° – 33° |
| March | 44° | 21° | 0.9" | 8.8" | 7 | 12 | 20° – 45° |
| April | 54° | 30° | 1.7" | 5.3" | 8 | 3 | 35° – 47° |
| May | 64° | 40° | 3.0" | 2.6" | 11 | 1 | 47° – 58° |
| June | 75° | 49° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 56° – 68° |
| July | 84° | 56° | 2.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 61° – 77° |
| August | 83° | 54° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 62° – 74° |
| September | 72° | 44° | 1.5" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| October | 56° | 31° | 1.4" | 2.4" | 8 | 1 | 36° – 49° |
| November | 42° | 20° | 0.7" | 6.2" | 7 | 8 | 18° – 40° |
| December | 32° | 11° | 0.5" | 7.5" | 7 | 16 | 10° – 29° |
| Year | 56° | 31° | 17.1" | 48.4" | 95 | 85 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 4° to 33°. May is the most reliable, staying within 11°.
Where Ekalaka’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 Ekalaka’s center.
- Snow: Ekalaka, MT (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ekalaka, MT, 0.2 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 Ekalaka’s climate
What is the weather like in Ekalaka?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 9°, and about 48 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 95% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ekalaka in winter?
January nights average 9°. About 176 nights a year reach 32° or below and 24 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 9°.
How much snow does Ekalaka get?
About 48 inches in a normal winter at Ekalaka, MT, heaviest from February through March, about 9 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 85 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ekalaka?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 56°. About 21 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Ekalaka, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Ekalaka?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 126 frost-free days, at Ekalaka, MT.
What growing zone is Ekalaka in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ekalaka?
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 Ekalaka getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 67% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ekalaka.
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.