Dry weather: only 15 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Gibson Flats, less than in 93% of U.S. towns
Midwinter brings lows of about 13°. In January, nights here are colder than in 89% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.4° above 1901–2000. If you like long walks, June, August and September offer highs of 73–84°.
A year in Gibson Flats at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gibson Flats’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gibson Flats’ place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Gibson Flats 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 19 and the first by September 24. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Great Falls 16st, MT, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft higher; frost dates and degree days from Great Falls International Airport, 7 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gibson Flats’ 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 66 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Great Falls International Airport, falls mostly in January, February, March, April, November and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; June is the wettest month and December the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 98 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Gibson Flats
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 Great Falls International Airport.
Living with Gibson Flats’ 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 19 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, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 49% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gibson Flats from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gibson Flats and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Gibson Flats in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Gibson Flats’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gibson Flats, MT | 13° | 84° | 15" | 66" |
| Rexburg, ID | 12° | 84° | 13" | 70" |
| Ranchettes, WY | 16° | 85° | 16" | 65" |
| Durango, CO | 12° | 86° | 18" | 64" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Gibson Flats averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.9°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Gibson Flats compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gibson Flats’ place among Montana’s.
Gibson Flats weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gibson Flats’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Great Falls International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 13° | 0.5" | 9.2" | 7 | 14 | 12° – 36° |
| February | 38° | 15° | 0.5" | 10.1" | 8 | 11 | −1° – 38° |
| March | 47° | 22° | 0.7" | 10.1" | 8 | 8 | 18° – 43° |
| April | 56° | 30° | 1.5" | 9.4" | 10 | 3 | 37° – 48° |
| May | 66° | 39° | 2.5" | 1.9" | 11 | 1 | 48° – 58° |
| June | 74° | 46° | 2.9" | 0.3" | 12 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| July | 84° | 52° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 77° |
| August | 84° | 51° | 1.1" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| September | 73° | 43° | 1.5" | 0.8" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| October | 58° | 32° | 1.1" | 5.2" | 7 | 3 | 36° – 52° |
| November | 45° | 23° | 0.6" | 9.2" | 7 | 8 | 21° – 43° |
| December | 36° | 16° | 0.5" | 9.6" | 7 | 11 | 14° – 35° |
| Year | 58° | 32° | 14.7" | 66.1" | 98 | 60 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from -1° to 38°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Gibson Flats’ 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 Gibson Flats’ center.
- Snow: Great Falls International Airport.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Great Falls International Airport, 7 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Great Falls 16st, MT, 2.5 miles from the town’s center, 130 ft higher; 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 Gibson Flats’ climate
What is the weather like in Gibson Flats?
A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 66 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 56% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gibson Flats in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 143 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 Gibson Flats get?
About 66 inches in a normal winter at Great Falls International Airport, most of it in January, February, March, April, November and December, with snow on the ground about 60 days a year.
How hot does it get in Gibson Flats?
July, with a typical high of 84° and a low of 52°. About 25 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Great Falls International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Gibson Flats?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 19 and the first fall frost by September 24, about 126 frost-free days, at Great Falls International Airport.
What growing zone is Gibson Flats 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 Gibson Flats?
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 Gibson Flats getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gibson Flats.
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.