Meadowbrook Stock Farm · Photo: Belgian1908 · CC BY-SA 4.0Hobson is drier than 92% of U.S. towns: 16 inches of precipitation a year
Sunny July days climb to about 83°. Temperatures cover 70° across the year, low to high. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 90% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around May 28; autumn frost returns near September 20.
A year in Hobson at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hobson’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hobson’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Hobson feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 112 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 28 and the first by September 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Moccasin Exp Stn, MT, 5 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hobson’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 45 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Moccasin Exp Stn, MT, falls mostly in January and April. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 16 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 Hobson
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 Moccasin Exp Stn, MT.
Living with Hobson’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
112 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by May 28 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hobson from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (49%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 39%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hobson and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hobson yet.
Climates most like Hobson’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobson, MT | 13° | 83° | 16" | 45" |
| Gleneagle, CO | 14° | 84° | 21" | 55" |
| Cody, WY | 14° | 85° | 11" | 45" |
| Taos, NM | 11° | 84° | 13" | 28" |
| 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 Hobson averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+5.0°).
A smaller shift than in 56% 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 Hobson compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hobson’s place among Montana’s.
Hobson weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hobson’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Moccasin Exp Stn, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 13° | 0.5" | 8.1" | 6 | 15° – 35° |
| February | 38° | 14° | 0.5" | 5.9" | 6 | 8° – 37° |
| March | 47° | 21° | 0.8" | 6.7" | 7 | 20° – 41° |
| April | 55° | 28° | 1.6" | 7.5" | 10 | 35° – 46° |
| May | 64° | 37° | 2.8" | 1.7" | 13 | 46° – 55° |
| June | 73° | 44° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 54° – 63° |
| July | 83° | 50° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 57° – 74° |
| August | 82° | 48° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 59° – 71° |
| September | 72° | 40° | 1.4" | 0.2" | 7 | 51° – 62° |
| October | 58° | 30° | 1.1" | 3.1" | 8 | 35° – 50° |
| November | 45° | 20° | 0.6" | 5.5" | 6 | 23° – 42° |
| December | 37° | 13° | 0.5" | 5.8" | 6 | 15° – 33° |
| Year | 58° | 30° | 16.1" | 44.5" | 99 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 8° to 37°. May is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Hobson’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 Hobson’s center.
- Snow: Moccasin Exp Stn, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Moccasin Exp Stn, MT, 5 miles from the town’s center, 200 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 Hobson’s climate
What is the weather like in Hobson?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 45 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hobson in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 182 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 15°.
How much snow does Hobson get?
About 45 inches in a normal winter at Moccasin Exp Stn, MT, most of it in January and April.
How hot does it get in Hobson?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 50°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Moccasin Exp Stn, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Hobson?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 28 and the first fall frost by September 20, about 112 frost-free days, at Moccasin Exp Stn, MT.
What growing zone is Hobson 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 Hobson?
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 Hobson getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 56% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hobson.
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.