Photo: Mcheath · CC BY-SA 3.0Glasgow’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Glasgow at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Glasgow’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Glasgow’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Glasgow feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 151 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 1. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Glasgow #2, MT, 0.6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Glasgow’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −29°. 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 44 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Glasgow Wfo, MT, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 13 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 99 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Glasgow
93% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Glasgow #2, MT.
Living with Glasgow’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
151 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 3 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 1.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June and September. 5.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 56% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Glasgow from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Glasgow and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Glasgow yet.
Climates most like Glasgow’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glasgow, MT | 3° | 87° | 13" | 44" |
| Watford City, ND | 4° | 84° | 16" | 50" |
| Green River, WY | 9° | 87° | 9" | 39" |
| Gypsum, CO | 11° | 86° | 14" | 39" |
| Pierre, SD | 9° | 88° | 19" | 37" |
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 Glasgow averaged 1.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.3°).
A bigger shift than in 61% 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 Glasgow compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Glasgow’s place among Montana’s.
Glasgow weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Glasgow’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Glasgow Wfo, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 24° | 3° | 0.4" | 10.5" | 8 | 22 | 0° – 28° |
| February | 29° | 8° | 0.3" | 7.8" | 8 | 19 | −3° – 32° |
| March | 44° | 20° | 0.5" | 5.8" | 7 | 11 | 15° – 41° |
| April | 58° | 31° | 1.0" | 2.7" | 8 | 1 | 38° – 50° |
| May | 69° | 42° | 2.3" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 52° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| July | 87° | 57° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 79° |
| August | 85° | 55° | 1.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 77° |
| September | 73° | 45° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 66° |
| October | 57° | 32° | 0.9" | 2.6" | 8 | 1 | 37° – 50° |
| November | 40° | 19° | 0.4" | 4.9" | 6 | 8 | 17° – 40° |
| December | 28° | 8° | 0.4" | 9.1" | 7 | 18 | 3° – 29° |
| Year | 56° | 31° | 13.3" | 43.7" | 99 | 81 |
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 32°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Glasgow’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 Glasgow’s center.
- Snow: Glasgow Wfo, MT (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Glasgow #2, MT, 0.6 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 Glasgow’s climate
What is the weather like in Glasgow?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 3°, and about 44 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than all but 127 U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 59% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Glasgow in winter?
January nights average 3°. About 175 nights a year reach 32° or below and 33 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 0°.
How much snow does Glasgow get?
About 44 inches in a normal winter at Glasgow Wfo, MT, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 81 days a year.
How hot does it get in Glasgow?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 57°. About 33 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Glasgow #2, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Glasgow?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 1, about 151 frost-free days, at Glasgow #2, MT.
What growing zone is Glasgow in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −29°.
What is the best time of year to visit Glasgow?
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 Glasgow getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 61% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Glasgow.
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.