Photo: J.B. Chandler · CC BY-SA 3.0Dry weather: only 15 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Judith Gap, less than in 93% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 81°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 89% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.2° more than in 1901–2000, led by January. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from October to May, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Judith Gap at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Judith Gap’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Judith Gap’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Judith Gap feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 104 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by June 1 and the first by September 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Judith Gap, MT, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Judith Gap’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 28 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Judith Gap, MT, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 15 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 68 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Judith Gap
98% 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 Judith Gap, MT.
Living with Judith Gap’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
104 frost-free days in zone 4b. The last frost comes by Jun 1 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 and August. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Judith Gap from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 25%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Judith Gap and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Judith Gap yet.
Climates most like Judith Gap’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Judith Gap, MT | 13° | 81° | 15" | 28" |
| Taos, NM | 11° | 84° | 13" | 28" |
| Cimarron Hills, CO | 18° | 85° | 17" | 33" |
| Dickinson, ND | 5° | 83° | 16" | 35" |
| Cody, WY | 14° | 85° | 11" | 45" |
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 Judith Gap averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+4.6°).
A smaller shift than in 60% 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 Judith Gap compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Judith Gap’s place among Montana’s.
Judith Gap weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Judith Gap’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Judith Gap, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37° | 13° | 0.5" | 4.5" | 3 | 10 | 16° – 33° |
| February | 38° | 13° | 0.4" | 6.7" | 3 | 7 | 8° – 36° |
| March | 46° | 21° | 0.7" | 3.6" | 4 | 3 | 22° – 40° |
| April | 53° | 27° | 1.6" | 2.8" | 8 | 1 | 35° – 45° |
| May | 63° | 36° | 2.8" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 54° |
| June | 72° | 43° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 53° – 63° |
| July | 81° | 49° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 56° – 73° |
| August | 81° | 47° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 58° – 69° |
| September | 71° | 39° | 1.3" | 0.2" | 5 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| October | 57° | 29° | 1.0" | 1.8" | 5 | 2 | 34° – 49° |
| November | 44° | 20° | 0.5" | 3.7" | 3 | 4 | 24° – 41° |
| December | 36° | 13° | 0.5" | 3.8" | 3 | 7 | 16° – 32° |
| Year | 57° | 29° | 15.2" | 27.5" | 68 | 34 |
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 36°. May is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Judith Gap’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 Judith Gap’s center.
- Snow: Judith Gap, MT (NOAA station in town).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Judith Gap, MT, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Judith Gap’s climate
What is the weather like in Judith Gap?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 13°, and about 28 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Judith Gap in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 192 nights a year reach 32° or below and 23 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 16°.
How much snow does Judith Gap get?
About 28 inches in a normal winter at Judith Gap, MT, most of it in February, with snow on the ground about 34 days a year.
How hot does it get in Judith Gap?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 49°. About 17 days a year reach 90° (Judith Gap, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Judith Gap?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by June 1 and the first fall frost by September 15, about 104 frost-free days, at Judith Gap, MT.
What growing zone is Judith Gap 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 Judith Gap?
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 Judith Gap getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 60% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Judith Gap.
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.