Elliston has cooler summers than 92% of U.S. towns
Deep winter brings January lows near 13°. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 92% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.7° higher. The heating season runs October to May: each of those months averages under 50°.
A year in Elliston at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elliston’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elliston’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Elliston feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 91 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 9 and the first by September 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Elliston, MT, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elliston’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −27°. 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 16 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and January the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Elliston
99% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September through June.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Elliston, MT.
Living with Elliston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
91 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by Jun 9 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 3.4 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elliston from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 14%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elliston and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Elliston 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 Elliston averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.8°).
A bigger shift than in 71% 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 Elliston compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elliston’s place among Montana’s.
Elliston weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elliston’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 13° | 0.8" | 13° – 30° |
| February | 35° | 13° | 0.9" | 10° – 33° |
| March | 44° | 20° | 1.1" | 22° – 39° |
| April | 51° | 27° | 1.6" | 33° – 45° |
| May | 61° | 34° | 2.4" | 43° – 53° |
| June | 69° | 40° | 2.8" | 49° – 62° |
| July | 80° | 46° | 1.3" | 53° – 70° |
| August | 79° | 44° | 1.3" | 55° – 66° |
| September | 68° | 37° | 1.3" | 49° – 57° |
| October | 53° | 28° | 1.3" | 33° – 47° |
| November | 39° | 19° | 0.8" | 21° – 38° |
| December | 31° | 12° | 0.8" | 13° – 27° |
| Year | 53° | 28° | 16.3" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 10° to 33°. September is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Elliston’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 Elliston’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Elliston, MT, 1.4 miles from the town’s center, 190 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 Elliston’s climate
What is the weather like in Elliston?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 13°. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elliston in winter?
December nights average 12°. About 219 nights a year reach 32° or below and 25 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How hot does it get in Elliston?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 46°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Elliston, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Elliston?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 9 and the first fall frost by September 8, about 91 frost-free days, at Elliston, MT.
What growing zone is Elliston in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Elliston?
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 Elliston getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elliston.
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.