Hilger gets about 112 inches of snow a winter, more than 98% of U.S. towns
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 81°. Precipitation is light here, less than falls on 90% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.1°, most of all in January. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly May 23 to September 21.
A year in Hilger at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hilger’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hilger’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Hilger feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 119 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 23 and the first by September 21. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lewistown, MT, 13 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft lower; frost dates and degree days from Lewistown Muni Airport, 15 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hilger’s 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 112 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Lewistown 11 Sse, MT, falls mostly in March. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 18 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February 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 Hilger
97% 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 Lewistown Muni Airport.
Living with Hilger’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
119 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 23 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 21.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 49% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hilger from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hilger and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hilger yet.
Climates most like Hilger’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilger, MT | 13° | 81° | 18" | 112" |
| Woodmoor, CO | 14° | 82° | 21" | 121" |
| Flagstaff, AZ | 16° | 84° | 18" | 90" |
| Hailey, ID | 10° | 84° | 14" | 102" |
| Park City, UT | 18° | 81° | 23" | 153" |
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 Hilger averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.7°).
A smaller shift than in 69% 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 Hilger compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hilger’s place among Montana’s.
Hilger weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hilger’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lewistown 11 Sse, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 13° | 0.7" | 17.5" | 7 | 12° – 36° |
| February | 36° | 14° | 0.5" | 16.4" | 7 | 3° – 37° |
| March | 45° | 22° | 0.9" | 19.5" | 8 | 17° – 42° |
| April | 53° | 29° | 1.9" | 17.2" | 9 | 35° – 46° |
| May | 62° | 38° | 3.2" | 3.1" | 11 | 46° – 55° |
| June | 71° | 46° | 3.5" | 0.2" | 13 | 54° – 64° |
| July | 81° | 52° | 1.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 57° – 73° |
| August | 81° | 50° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 59° – 71° |
| September | 70° | 42° | 1.6" | 2.1" | 7 | 51° – 62° |
| October | 56° | 31° | 1.4" | 8.8" | 7 | 35° – 49° |
| November | 44° | 22° | 0.7" | 11.2" | 6 | 22° – 42° |
| December | 36° | 14° | 0.6" | 16.1" | 6 | 13° – 34° |
| Year | 56° | 31° | 18.3" | 112.1" | 98 |
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 37°. May is the most reliable, staying within 10°.
Where Hilger’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 Hilger’s center.
- Snow: Lewistown 11 Sse, MT.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Lewistown Muni Airport, 15 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Lewistown, MT, 13 miles from the town’s center, 170 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 Hilger’s climate
What is the weather like in Hilger?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 112 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hilger in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 166 nights a year reach 32° or below and 21 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 12°.
How much snow does Hilger get?
About 112 inches in a normal winter at Lewistown 11 Sse, MT, most of it in March.
How hot does it get in Hilger?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 52°. About 24 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Lewistown Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Hilger?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 23 and the first fall frost by September 21, about 119 frost-free days, at Lewistown Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Hilger 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 Hilger?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Hilger getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 69% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hilger.
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.