Photo: U.S. Farm Services Agency · Public domainFlorence is drier than 95% of U.S. towns: 13 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 18°. The gap between a January night and a July afternoon is 68°. Its January nights bite harder than in 69% of U.S. towns. If you like long walks, June and September offer highs of 74–75°.
A year in Florence at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Florence’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Florence’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Florence feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 115 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 22 and the first by September 19. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Stevensville, MT, 8 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Florence’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −11°. 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 17 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Stevensville, MT, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; June is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 100 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Florence
97% 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 Stevensville, MT.
Living with Florence’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
115 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 22 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 19.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Florence from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (37%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Florence and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Florence yet.
Climates most like Florence’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florence, MT | 18° | 86° | 13" | 17" |
| Santa Fe, NM | 18° | 86° | 13" | 20" |
| Show Low, AZ | 19° | 86° | 15" | 19" |
| Blackfoot, ID | 16° | 88° | 11" | 15" |
| Cold Springs, NV | 23° | 88° | 13" | 17" |
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 Florence averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.2°).
A smaller shift than in 86% 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 Florence compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Florence’s place among Montana’s.
Florence weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Florence’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Stevensville, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 18° | 0.9" | 4.0" | 9 | 8 | 15° – 34° |
| February | 39° | 20° | 0.8" | 3.0" | 8 | 7 | 19° – 36° |
| March | 50° | 26° | 0.8" | 1.5" | 10 | 2 | 29° – 44° |
| April | 58° | 32° | 1.1" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 41° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 39° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| June | 75° | 46° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| July | 86° | 50° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 76° |
| August | 85° | 48° | 0.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| September | 74° | 41° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 62° |
| October | 58° | 32° | 1.1" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 38° – 50° |
| November | 42° | 24° | 1.1" | 1.6" | 9 | 2 | 27° – 38° |
| December | 33° | 18° | 1.1" | 6.8" | 9 | 5 | 20° – 31° |
| Year | 59° | 33° | 12.8" | 17.1" | 100 | 24 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 15° to 34°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Florence’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 Florence’s center.
- Snow: Stevensville, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Stevensville, MT, 8 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft higher; 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 Florence’s climate
What is the weather like in Florence?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 17 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 69% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 58% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Florence in winter?
December nights average 18°. About 175 nights a year reach 32° or below and 7 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Florence get?
About 17 inches in a normal winter at Stevensville, MT, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 24 days a year.
How hot does it get in Florence?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 50°. About 28 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Stevensville, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Florence?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 22 and the first fall frost by September 19, about 115 frost-free days, at Stevensville, MT.
What growing zone is Florence in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Florence?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Florence getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 86% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Florence.
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.