Few U.S. towns have colder winter nights than Fox Lake
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 85°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in June and the lightest in December. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 94% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about May 12, with the first autumn frost due around September 25.
A year in Fox Lake at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Fox Lake’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Fox Lake’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Fox Lake feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 135 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Savage, MT, 21 miles from the town’s center, 390 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Fox Lake’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −27°. 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 30 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Sidney, MT, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; June is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 85 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Fox Lake
92% 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 Savage, MT.
Living with Fox Lake’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
135 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 12 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June and September. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 66% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Fox Lake from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Fox Lake and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Fox Lake yet.
Climates most like Fox Lake’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox Lake, MT | 3° | 85° | 14" | 30" |
| Mandan, ND | 3° | 84° | 18" | 51" |
| Alamosa, CO | 3° | 82° | 8" | 30" |
| Taos, NM | 11° | 84° | 13" | 28" |
| Aberdeen, SD | 3° | 84° | 22" | 43" |
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 Fox Lake averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.1°).
A bigger 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 Fox Lake compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Fox Lake’s place among Montana’s.
Fox Lake weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Fox Lake’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sidney, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 25° | 3° | 0.3" | 7.0" | 7 | 26 | 3° – 29° |
| February | 30° | 8° | 0.3" | 5.6" | 5 | 18 | −4° – 31° |
| March | 43° | 18° | 0.5" | 3.0" | 6 | 11 | 15° – 43° |
| April | 57° | 29° | 1.2" | 1.7" | 6 | 1 | 36° – 48° |
| May | 68° | 40° | 2.5" | 0.7" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| June | 76° | 49° | 2.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| July | 85° | 55° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 62° – 76° |
| August | 84° | 52° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| September | 73° | 43° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 52° – 64° |
| October | 57° | 30° | 1.1" | 1.5" | 7 | 2 | 35° – 49° |
| November | 40° | 18° | 0.4" | 3.0" | 5 | 7 | 16° – 39° |
| December | 28° | 8° | 0.3" | 7.9" | 6 | 18 | 5° – 28° |
| Year | 55° | 29° | 14.3" | 30.4" | 85 | 83 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -4° to 31°. August is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Fox Lake’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 Fox Lake’s center.
- Snow: Sidney, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Savage, MT, 21 miles from the town’s center, 390 ft lower; 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 Fox Lake’s climate
What is the weather like in Fox Lake?
A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 30 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 133 U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 53% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Fox Lake in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 176 nights a year reach 32° or below and 30 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 3°.
How much snow does Fox Lake get?
About 30 inches in a normal winter at Sidney, MT, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 83 days a year.
How hot does it get in Fox Lake?
July, with a typical high of 85° and a low of 55°. About 33 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Savage, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Fox Lake?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 135 frost-free days, at Savage, MT.
What growing zone is Fox Lake in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Fox Lake?
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 Fox Lake getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Fox Lake.
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.