Photo: Montanabw · CC BY-SA 4.0Elkhorn has some of the coolest summers among U.S. towns
Nights in January average 16°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 58° apart. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 88% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from September to May, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Elkhorn at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elkhorn’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elkhorn’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Elkhorn feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 24 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and January the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Living with Elkhorn’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 4b.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August. 9.6 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elkhorn from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (47%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elkhorn and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Elkhorn yet.
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 Elkhorn averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 50% 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 Elkhorn compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elkhorn’s place among Montana’s.
Elkhorn weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elkhorn’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 16° | 1.4" | 15° – 29° |
| February | 32° | 14° | 1.5" | 9° – 31° |
| March | 39° | 20° | 1.8" | 20° – 36° |
| April | 45° | 25° | 2.7" | 29° – 40° |
| May | 53° | 33° | 3.2" | 38° – 48° |
| June | 61° | 39° | 3.5" | 45° – 57° |
| July | 72° | 47° | 1.7" | 49° – 66° |
| August | 71° | 45° | 1.5" | 52° – 62° |
| September | 61° | 39° | 1.6" | 46° – 54° |
| October | 47° | 29° | 1.9" | 31° – 44° |
| November | 36° | 20° | 1.8" | 20° – 36° |
| December | 30° | 15° | 1.7" | 14° – 28° |
| Year | 48° | 28° | 24.1" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 31°. September is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Elkhorn’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 Elkhorn’s center.
- 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 Elkhorn’s climate
What is the weather like in Elkhorn?
A typical July afternoon reaches 72°, a January night drops to 16°. Colder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than all but 109 U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elkhorn in winter?
February nights average 14°. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 9°.
How hot does it get in Elkhorn?
July, with a typical high of 72°. 90° days are rare.
What growing zone is Elkhorn in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Elkhorn?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Elkhorn getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elkhorn.
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.