Photo: MicaelaYoung · CC BY-SA 3.0Heart Butte sits near the bottom of U.S. towns for July heat
January mornings start at about 15°. Seasons differ by 62°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. By precipitation alone, it ranks drier than 89% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from June to August brings highs of 66–76°.
A year in Heart Butte at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Heart Butte’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Heart Butte’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Heart Butte feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 88 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 8 and the first by September 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at E Glacier, MT, 21 miles from the town’s center, 350 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Heart Butte’s center in zone 4b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −25°. 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 21 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and January the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Heart Butte
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from September through June.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at E Glacier, MT.
Living with Heart Butte’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
88 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by Jun 8 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July and August. 4.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 50% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Heart Butte from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Heart Butte and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Heart Butte yet.
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 Heart Butte averaged 2.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+5.8°).
A bigger shift than in 92% 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 Heart Butte compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Heart Butte’s place among Montana’s.
Heart Butte weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Heart Butte’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33° | 15° | 1.2" | 12° – 30° |
| February | 33° | 14° | 1.2" | 4° – 34° |
| March | 40° | 21° | 1.6" | 19° – 38° |
| April | 49° | 28° | 1.9" | 33° – 45° |
| May | 58° | 36° | 3.0" | 42° – 52° |
| June | 66° | 43° | 3.7" | 51° – 61° |
| July | 76° | 48° | 1.4" | 52° – 70° |
| August | 76° | 46° | 1.4" | 55° – 65° |
| September | 66° | 40° | 1.8" | 48° – 59° |
| October | 52° | 31° | 1.6" | 34° – 48° |
| November | 39° | 23° | 1.2" | 22° – 40° |
| December | 32° | 15° | 1.2" | 13° – 31° |
| Year | 52° | 30° | 21.2" |
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 34°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Heart Butte’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 Heart Butte’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: E Glacier, MT, 21 miles from the town’s center, 350 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 Heart Butte’s climate
What is the weather like in Heart Butte?
A typical July afternoon reaches 76°, a January night drops to 15°. Colder January nights than 86% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 98% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Heart Butte in winter?
February nights average 14°. About 201 nights a year reach 32° or below and 27 reach 0° or below. In the coldest February of the last 30 years the month averaged 4°.
How hot does it get in Heart Butte?
July, with a typical high of 76° and a low of 48°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (E Glacier, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Heart Butte?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 8 and the first fall frost by September 5, about 88 frost-free days, at E Glacier, MT.
What growing zone is Heart Butte in?
Zone 4b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Heart Butte?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Heart Butte getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 2.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Heart Butte.
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.