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Climate in Fort Belknap Agency · NOAA 1991–2020 normals

Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Fort Belknap Agency

July afternoons average 86°. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 95% of U.S. towns. January has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.6° rise. If you like long walks, May, June and September offer highs of 68–76°.

Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns#6 coldest of 44 in MT
Drier than 95% of U.S. towns#11 driest of 44 in MT
All MT rankings →

A year in Fort Belknap Agency at a glance

Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.

Jan28°7°
Feb33°11°
Mar44°21°
Apr58°31°
May68°41° Last frost ~May 16
Jun76°50° 2 days 90°+Wettest
Jul86°55° 8 days 90°+
Aug85°53° 8 days 90°+
Sep73°44° First frost ~Sep 222 days 90°+
Oct58°32°
Nov now42°20°
Dec31°10°

What stands out about Fort Belknap Agency’s climate

Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fort Belknap Agency’s place in Montana beside it.

A normal year

What a year in Fort Belknap Agency feels like

Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.

Winter
31° / 9°
Snow is rare
Spring
57° / 31°
Last frost around May 16
Summer
82° / 53°
19 days reach 90°
Fall
58° / 32°
First frost around Sep 22
Best months to be outsideMayJunSepHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Frost, heat & the growing season

About 128 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by September 22. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ft Belknap 2 Sw, MT, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.

Short record. NOAA estimated Ft Belknap 2 Sw, MT’s counts from 6 years of data and its neighbors’, not a full 30-year record.
195
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
7th most of 44 in Montana
More freezing nights than all but 105 U.S. towns
35
nights at or below 0°
The most of 44 in Montana
More nights at or below 0° than all but 177 U.S. towns
19
days that reach 90°
20th fewest of 44 in Montana
Fewer 90° days than 52% of U.S. towns
1
days that reach 100°
21st most of 44 in Montana
More 100° days than 73% of U.S. towns
4aUSDA zone
Plant hardiness zone 4a

The 2023 USDA map puts Fort Belknap Agency’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −28°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

31
JFMAMJJASOND

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more

7.8
JFMAMJJASOND
Rain & snow

About 13 inches of rain a year

June is the wettest month and February the driest.

13"
Rain + melted snow a year
11th driest of 44 in Montana
Drier than 95% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water

2.8"
JFMAMJJASOND
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Fort Belknap Agency

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.

8,474 heating degree daysMore heating than 98% of U.S. towns
347 cooling degree daysLess cooling than 93% of U.S. towns

Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Ft Belknap 2 Sw, MT.

Living here

Living with Fort Belknap Agency’s climate

What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.

The garden window

128 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 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 22.

Get outside

Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 4.6 miles of trails are waiting.

Parks & trails →
Storms and extremes

Cold waves are 64% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fort Belknap Agency from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.

Natural hazards →
Next door & far away

Fort Belknap Agency and similar climates

TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fort Belknap Agency yet.

Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

The last 30 years in Fort Belknap Agency averaged 1.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.9°).

+1.6°1991–2020 vs. 1901–2000

A bigger shift than in 63% of U.S. towns.

Winter+3.4°now 20°, was 17°
Spring+1.2°now 44°, was 42°
Summer+0.7°now 67°, was 67°
Fall+0.9°now 45°, was 44°

Change by month

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.

Compared with other towns

How Fort Belknap Agency compares

Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fort Belknap Agency’s place among Montana’s.

Summer heat86° July high
Hotter July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns14th hottest of 44 in Montana
Winter cold7° January low
Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns6th coldest of 44 in Montana
Precipitation13" a year
Drier than 95% of U.S. towns11th driest of 44 in Montana
Hot days19 days at 90°+
Fewer 90° days than 52% of U.S. towns20th fewest of 44 in Montana
Freezing nights195 a year
More freezing nights than all but 105 U.S. towns7th most of 44 in Montana
Growing season128 frost-free days
A shorter frost-free season than 98% of U.S. towns20th shortest of 42 in Montana
Month by month

Fort Belknap Agency weather by month

Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fort Belknap Agency’s center. 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + melt30-yr range
January28°7°0.4"4° – 33°
February33°11°0.3"−3° – 36°
March44°21°0.6"14° – 42°
April58°31°1.0"37° – 49°
May68°41°2.1"49° – 61°
June76°50°2.8"59° – 67°
July86°55°1.5"61° – 77°
August85°53°1.1"63° – 74°
September73°44°1.1"54° – 65°
October58°32°0.8"37° – 50°
November42°20°0.5"19° – 42°
December31°10°0.4"6° – 32°
Year57°31°12.6"
Year to year

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 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Sources

Where Fort Belknap Agency’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 Fort Belknap Agency’s center.
  • Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ft Belknap 2 Sw, MT, 5 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 Fort Belknap Agency’s climate

What is the weather like in Fort Belknap Agency?

A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 7°. Colder January nights than 96% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 52% of U.S. towns.

How cold does it get in Fort Belknap Agency in winter?

January nights average 7°. About 195 nights a year reach 32° or below and 35 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.

How hot does it get in Fort Belknap Agency?

July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 55°. About 19 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Ft Belknap 2 Sw, MT).

When is the first and last frost in Fort Belknap Agency?

In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 22, about 128 frost-free days, at Ft Belknap 2 Sw, MT.

What growing zone is Fort Belknap Agency in?

Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −28°.

What is the best time of year to visit Fort Belknap Agency?

By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.

Is Fort Belknap Agency getting warmer?

Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 63% of U.S. towns.

Neighbors talk weather

Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fort Belknap Agency.

Town Square →
Ask your neighbors

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.