Superior School · Photo: Jon Roanhaus · CC BY-SA 4.0Precipitation in Fords Creek Colony trails that of 92% of U.S. towns: 17 inches a year
On a normal January night the air cools to about 12°. June is the wettest month, February the driest. In January, nights here are colder than in 92% of U.S. towns. Radiators earn their keep from October to April, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Fords Creek Colony at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fords Creek Colony’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fords Creek Colony’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Fords Creek Colony 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 24. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Grass Range, MT, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fords Creek Colony’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 50 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Grass Range, MT, falls mostly in January, March and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 17 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 88 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fords Creek Colony
96% 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 Grass Range, MT.
Living with Fords Creek Colony’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 24.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 49% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fords Creek Colony from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fords Creek Colony and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fords Creek Colony yet.
Climates most like Fords Creek Colony’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fords Creek Colony, MT | 12° | 83° | 17" | 50" |
| Gleneagle, CO | 14° | 84° | 21" | 55" |
| Gillette, WY | 13° | 86° | 16" | 56" |
| Rexburg, ID | 12° | 84° | 13" | 70" |
| Rapid Valley, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 49" |
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 Fords Creek Colony averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.6°).
A smaller shift than in 53% 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 Fords Creek Colony compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fords Creek Colony’s place among Montana’s.
Fords Creek Colony weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fords Creek Colony’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Grass Range, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 12° | 0.5" | 8.7" | 6 | 17 | 12° – 35° |
| February | 38° | 14° | 0.5" | 7.8" | 6 | 13 | 3° – 38° |
| March | 47° | 22° | 0.8" | 9.2" | 7 | 8 | 18° – 42° |
| April | 56° | 30° | 1.8" | 4.8" | 8 | 2 | 36° – 47° |
| May | 65° | 39° | 3.1" | 0.9" | 12 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| June | 74° | 47° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| July | 83° | 53° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 58° – 75° |
| August | 83° | 51° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 72° |
| September | 72° | 42° | 1.4" | 0.1" | 6 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| October | 58° | 31° | 1.3" | 3.4" | 7 | 1 | 37° – 50° |
| November | 45° | 21° | 0.7" | 6.4" | 5 | 8 | 22° – 42° |
| December | 36° | 13° | 0.6" | 8.8" | 5 | 15 | 13° – 34° |
| Year | 58° | 31° | 16.7" | 50.1" | 88 | 64 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 3° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Fords Creek Colony’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 Fords Creek Colony’s center.
- Snow: Grass Range, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Grass Range, MT, 9 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 Fords Creek Colony’s climate
What is the weather like in Fords Creek Colony?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 50 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 92% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fords Creek Colony in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 171 nights a year reach 32° or below and 18 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Fords Creek Colony get?
About 50 inches in a normal winter at Grass Range, MT, most of it in January, March and December, with snow on the ground about 64 days a year.
How hot does it get in Fords Creek Colony?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 53°. About 14 days a year reach 90° (Grass Range, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Fords Creek Colony?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 20 and the first fall frost by September 24, about 126 frost-free days, at Grass Range, MT.
What growing zone is Fords Creek Colony 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 Fords Creek Colony?
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 Fords Creek Colony getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fords Creek Colony.
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.