Dry weather: only 15 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Golden Valley Colony, less than in 93% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 13°. Precipitation peaks in May and eases off in January. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 89% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, June and September bring highs of 74–76°.
A year in Golden Valley Colony at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Golden Valley Colony’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Golden Valley Colony’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Golden Valley Colony feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 127 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 17 and the first by September 23. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Ryegate, MT, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 120 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Golden Valley Colony’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −22°. 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 54 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Rapelje, MT, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 75 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Golden Valley Colony
95% 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 Ryegate, MT.
Living with Golden Valley Colony’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
127 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 17 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 and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Golden Valley Colony from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 19%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Golden Valley Colony and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Golden Valley Colony yet.
Climates most like Golden Valley Colony’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Golden Valley Colony, MT | 13° | 86° | 15" | 54" |
| Gillette, WY | 13° | 86° | 16" | 56" |
| Rigby, ID | 12° | 85° | 12" | 66" |
| Durango, CO | 12° | 86° | 18" | 64" |
| Rapid Valley, SD | 14° | 86° | 19" | 49" |
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 Golden Valley Colony averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°).
A smaller shift than in 81% 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 Golden Valley Colony compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Golden Valley Colony’s place among Montana’s.
Golden Valley Colony weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Golden Valley Colony’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Rapelje, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 13° | 0.3" | 7.8" | 4 | 10 | 15° – 35° |
| February | 40° | 15° | 0.4" | 9.8" | 5 | 8 | 6° – 39° |
| March | 49° | 22° | 0.7" | 8.8" | 6 | 4 | 24° – 43° |
| April | 57° | 30° | 1.6" | 6.6" | 8 | 2 | 38° – 48° |
| May | 67° | 39° | 2.7" | 1.1" | 10 | 0 | 48° – 56° |
| June | 76° | 47° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 66° |
| July | 86° | 53° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 59° – 76° |
| August | 85° | 51° | 1.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| September | 74° | 42° | 1.2" | 0.2" | 6 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| October | 60° | 31° | 1.1" | 5.6" | 6 | 2 | 36° – 52° |
| November | 46° | 21° | 0.6" | 6.4" | 4 | 6 | 26° – 43° |
| December | 37° | 14° | 0.5" | 8.0" | 5 | 8 | 16° – 34° |
| Year | 59° | 31° | 14.5" | 54.3" | 75 | 39 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 6° to 39°. May is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Golden Valley Colony’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 Golden Valley Colony’s center.
- Snow: Rapelje, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Ryegate, MT, 2.9 miles from the town’s center, 120 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 Golden Valley Colony’s climate
What is the weather like in Golden Valley Colony?
A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 54 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 53% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Golden Valley Colony in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 175 nights a year reach 32° or below and 16 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 15°.
How much snow does Golden Valley Colony get?
About 54 inches in a normal winter at Rapelje, MT, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 39 days a year.
How hot does it get in Golden Valley Colony?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 53°. About 34 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Ryegate, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Golden Valley Colony?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 17 and the first fall frost by September 23, about 127 frost-free days, at Ryegate, MT.
What growing zone is Golden Valley Colony in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −22°.
What is the best time of year to visit Golden Valley Colony?
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 Golden Valley Colony getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 81% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Golden Valley Colony.
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.