Less rain and snow falls on Horizon Colony than on 95% of U.S. towns: 13 inches a year
Midsummer highs settle at about 79°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in June and the lightest in December. By July afternoons alone, it runs cooler than 95% of U.S. towns. Long walks are most pleasant from June to September, when afternoons reach 68–79°.
A year in Horizon Colony at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Horizon Colony’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Horizon Colony’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Horizon Colony feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 113 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 24 and the first by September 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cut Bank Muni Airport, 10 miles from the town’s center, 170 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Horizon Colony’s center in zone 4a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −27°. 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 13 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and December the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Horizon Colony
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from September 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 Cut Bank Muni Airport.
Living with Horizon Colony’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
113 frost-free days in zone 4a. The last frost comes by May 24 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 1.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 52% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Horizon Colony from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Horizon Colony and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Horizon Colony 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 Horizon Colony averaged 1.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+5.7°).
A bigger shift than in 77% 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 Horizon Colony compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Horizon Colony’s place among Montana’s.
Horizon Colony weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Horizon Colony’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 12° | 0.4" | 8° – 35° |
| February | 34° | 13° | 0.4" | −3° – 37° |
| March | 42° | 20° | 0.6" | 13° – 40° |
| April | 52° | 29° | 1.2" | 34° – 45° |
| May | 62° | 38° | 1.9" | 45° – 56° |
| June | 70° | 45° | 3.2" | 55° – 62° |
| July | 79° | 50° | 1.2" | 56° – 73° |
| August | 79° | 49° | 1.1" | 58° – 68° |
| September | 68° | 41° | 1.1" | 51° – 60° |
| October | 54° | 31° | 0.8" | 34° – 49° |
| November | 40° | 21° | 0.6" | 18° – 40° |
| December | 32° | 13° | 0.4" | 10° – 33° |
| Year | 54° | 30° | 12.9" |
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°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Horizon 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 Horizon Colony’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cut Bank Muni Airport, 10 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 Horizon Colony’s climate
What is the weather like in Horizon Colony?
A typical July afternoon reaches 79°, a January night drops to 12°. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 95% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Horizon Colony in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 186 nights a year reach 32° or below and 28 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How hot does it get in Horizon Colony?
July, with a typical high of 79° and a low of 50°. About 9 days a year reach 90° (Cut Bank Muni Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Horizon Colony?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 24 and the first fall frost by September 15, about 113 frost-free days, at Cut Bank Muni Airport.
What growing zone is Horizon Colony in?
Zone 4a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −27°.
What is the best time of year to visit Horizon Colony?
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 Horizon Colony getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Horizon 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.