Photo: Finetooth · CC BY-SA 3.0Ennis is drier than 95% of U.S. towns: 13 inches of precipitation a year
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 85° on average. From frosty January to warm July, readings climb 72°. In January, nights here are colder than in 89% of U.S. towns. Homes need heating from October to April, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Ennis at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ennis’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ennis’ place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Ennis feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 78 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 16 and the first by September 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ennis, MT, 1.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ennis’ center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −15°. 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 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Ennis, MT, falls mostly in February, November and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 94 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Ennis
99% 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 Ennis, MT.
Living with Ennis’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
78 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by Jun 16 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and August. 0.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ennis from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (79%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 4%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ennis and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Ennis yet.
Climates most like Ennis’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ennis, MT | 13° | 85° | 13" | 45" |
| Gypsum, CO | 11° | 86° | 14" | 39" |
| Gillette, WY | 13° | 86° | 16" | 56" |
| Taos, NM | 11° | 84° | 13" | 28" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
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 Ennis averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.8°).
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 Ennis compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ennis’ place among Montana’s.
Ennis weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ennis’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ennis, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 13° | 0.4" | 6.5" | 5 | 17 | 17° – 29° |
| February | 38° | 14° | 0.5" | 7.6" | 6 | 13 | 14° – 35° |
| March | 47° | 22° | 0.8" | 6.6" | 8 | 6 | 25° – 41° |
| April | 55° | 28° | 1.4" | 6.0" | 11 | 3 | 37° – 46° |
| May | 65° | 35° | 2.0" | 1.3" | 12 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| June | 74° | 42° | 2.3" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| July | 85° | 47° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 72° |
| August | 84° | 44° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| September | 73° | 37° | 1.1" | 0.1" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 60° |
| October | 59° | 29° | 1.1" | 2.2" | 8 | 1 | 36° – 50° |
| November | 44° | 20° | 0.7" | 6.9" | 7 | 8 | 22° – 41° |
| December | 34° | 12° | 0.6" | 7.3" | 6 | 18 | 17° – 28° |
| Year | 58° | 29° | 13.1" | 44.7" | 94 | 65 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 14° to 35°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Ennis’ 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 Ennis’ center.
- Snow: Ennis, MT (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ennis, MT, 1.1 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 Ennis’ climate
What is the weather like in Ennis?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 55% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ennis in winter?
December nights average 12°. About 186 nights a year reach 32° or below and 13 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Ennis get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter at Ennis, MT, most of it in February, November and December, with snow on the ground about 65 days a year.
How hot does it get in Ennis?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 47°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Ennis, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Ennis?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 16 and the first fall frost by September 4, about 78 frost-free days, at Ennis, MT.
What growing zone is Ennis in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ennis?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ennis 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 Ennis.
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.