Pine Butte School · Photo: Circletheblock · CC BY-SA 3.0Four Corners gets about 91 inches of snow a winter, more than 97% of U.S. towns
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 84°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in June and the lightest in January. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 93% of U.S. towns. Plan time outside for June, August and September, when highs sit at 73–83°.
A year in Four Corners at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Four Corners’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Four Corners’ place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Four Corners feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 123 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 23 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bozeman 6 W Exp Farm, MT, 1.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Four Corners’ center in zone 5a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −18°. 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 91 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Bozeman Montana State Univ, MT, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; June is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 138 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Four Corners
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 Bozeman 6 W Exp Farm, MT.
Living with Four Corners’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
123 frost-free days in zone 5a. The last frost comes by May 23 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, August and September. 1.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Four Corners from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (74%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Four Corners and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Four Corners yet.
Climates most like Four Corners’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four Corners, MT | 14° | 84° | 15" | 91" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
| Hailey, ID | 10° | 84° | 14" | 102" |
| Ranchettes, WY | 16° | 85° | 16" | 65" |
| Durango, CO | 12° | 86° | 18" | 64" |
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 Four Corners averaged 1.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 69% 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 Four Corners compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Four Corners’ place among Montana’s.
Four Corners weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Four Corners’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Bozeman Montana State Univ, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34° | 14° | 0.5" | 12.7" | 11 | 30 | 15° – 31° |
| February | 37° | 16° | 0.5" | 13.0" | 10 | 24 | 12° – 36° |
| March | 47° | 23° | 0.9" | 13.1" | 12 | 16 | 22° – 42° |
| April | 55° | 30° | 1.8" | 12.9" | 14 | 4 | 37° – 47° |
| May | 65° | 38° | 2.4" | 3.6" | 15 | 0 | 47° – 55° |
| June | 73° | 45° | 2.8" | 0.8" | 15 | 0 | 53° – 65° |
| July | 84° | 50° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 57° – 74° |
| August | 83° | 48° | 1.1" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 59° – 70° |
| September | 73° | 41° | 1.3" | 0.4" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| October | 58° | 31° | 1.4" | 6.0" | 11 | 3 | 36° – 50° |
| November | 43° | 21° | 0.8" | 12.5" | 10 | 15 | 21° – 41° |
| December | 33° | 13° | 0.6" | 16.2" | 11 | 26 | 15° – 29° |
| Year | 57° | 31° | 15.1" | 91.3" | 138 | 118 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 12° to 36°. May is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Four Corners’ 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 Four Corners’ center.
- Snow: Bozeman Montana State Univ, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bozeman 6 W Exp Farm, MT, 1.2 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 Four Corners’ climate
What is the weather like in Four Corners?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 14°, and about 91 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Four Corners in winter?
December nights average 13°. About 180 nights a year reach 32° or below and 15 reach 0° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Four Corners get?
About 91 inches in a normal winter at Bozeman Montana State Univ, MT, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 118 days a year.
How hot does it get in Four Corners?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 50°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (Bozeman 6 W Exp Farm, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Four Corners?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 23 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 123 frost-free days, at Bozeman 6 W Exp Farm, MT.
What growing zone is Four Corners in?
Zone 5a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Four Corners?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Four Corners getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Four Corners.
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.