Dry weather: only 16 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Fortine, less than in 92% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 16°. Its January nights bite harder than in 80% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with January up the most. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 16 to September 18.
A year in Fortine at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fortine’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fortine’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Fortine feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 121 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 16 and the first by September 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Fortine 1 N, MT, 0.9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fortine’s center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −17°. 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 41 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Fortine 1 N, MT, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 92 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fortine
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 Fortine 1 N, MT.
Living with Fortine’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
121 frost-free days in zone 5a. 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 13 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fortine from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (40%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fortine and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fortine yet.
Climates most like Fortine’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fortine, MT | 16° | 83° | 16" | 41" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Los Alamos, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 42" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
| Cody, WY | 14° | 85° | 11" | 45" |
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 Fortine averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 84% 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 Fortine compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fortine’s place among Montana’s.
Fortine weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fortine’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Fortine 1 N, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31° | 16° | 1.0" | 9.1" | 9 | 13° – 30° |
| February | 37° | 18° | 0.7" | 5.9" | 7 | 14° – 35° |
| March | 47° | 25° | 1.0" | 5.6" | 7 | 28° – 41° |
| April | 56° | 30° | 1.2" | 2.1" | 7 | 38° – 51° |
| May | 67° | 38° | 2.2" | 0.3" | 9 | 48° – 58° |
| June | 73° | 44° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 55° – 65° |
| July | 83° | 48° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 58° – 72° |
| August | 83° | 47° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 4 | 61° – 68° |
| September | 72° | 39° | 1.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 51° – 61° |
| October | 55° | 31° | 1.2" | 0.7" | 6 | 37° – 49° |
| November | 39° | 24° | 1.3" | 7.9" | 10 | 24° – 39° |
| December | 30° | 17° | 1.3" | 9.3" | 10 | 16° – 30° |
| Year | 56° | 31° | 16.4" | 40.9" | 92 |
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°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Fortine’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 Fortine’s center.
- Snow: Fortine 1 N, MT (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Fortine 1 N, MT, 0.9 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 Fortine’s climate
What is the weather like in Fortine?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 16°, and about 41 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fortine in winter?
January nights average 16°. About 183 nights a year reach 32° or below and 11 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 13°.
How much snow does Fortine get?
About 41 inches in a normal winter at Fortine 1 N, MT, most of it in January and December.
How hot does it get in Fortine?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 48°. About 16 days a year reach 90° (Fortine 1 N, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Fortine?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 16 and the first fall frost by September 18, about 121 frost-free days, at Fortine 1 N, MT.
What growing zone is Fortine in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fortine?
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 Fortine getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fortine.
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.