Lakeside’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 51 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Lakeside at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lakeside’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lakeside’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Lakeside feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 134 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 12 and the first by September 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Creston, MT, 13 miles from the town’s center, 210 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lakeside’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −11°. 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 51 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Creston, MT, falls mostly in January and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 14 inches a year; June is the wettest month and March the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 129 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Lakeside
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 Creston, MT.
Living with Lakeside’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
134 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 12 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: June, July, August and September. 6.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lakeside from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (78%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 5%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lakeside and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lakeside yet.
Climates most like Lakeside’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakeside, MT | 20° | 82° | 14" | 51" |
| Airway Heights, WA | 24° | 84° | 17" | 45" |
| Los Alamos, NM | 19° | 85° | 15" | 42" |
| Castle Rock, CO | 18° | 85° | 18" | 58" |
| Doney Park, AZ | 17° | 86° | 16" | 52" |
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 Lakeside averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.9°).
A smaller shift than in 54% 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 Lakeside compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lakeside’s place among Montana’s.
Lakeside weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lakeside’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Creston, MT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 32° | 20° | 1.0" | 13.8" | 14 | 24 | 17° – 33° |
| February | 36° | 21° | 0.8" | 11.0" | 10 | 19 | 15° – 35° |
| March | 46° | 26° | 0.8" | 6.3" | 11 | 11 | 28° – 42° |
| April | 55° | 32° | 1.1" | 2.1" | 11 | 1 | 39° – 51° |
| May | 66° | 40° | 1.7" | 0.1" | 13 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| June | 72° | 46° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 56° – 67° |
| July | 82° | 51° | 1.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 74° |
| August | 82° | 50° | 0.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| September | 71° | 42° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 62° |
| October | 55° | 33° | 1.3" | 0.5" | 11 | 0 | 38° – 49° |
| November | 40° | 26° | 1.1" | 3.4" | 12 | 5 | 26° – 40° |
| December | 32° | 21° | 1.1" | 13.4" | 13 | 18 | 19° – 32° |
| Year | 56° | 34° | 14.3" | 50.6" | 129 | 79 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 15° to 35°. August is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Lakeside’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 Lakeside’s center.
- Snow: Creston, MT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Creston, MT, 13 miles from the town’s center, 210 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 Lakeside’s climate
What is the weather like in Lakeside?
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 51 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 59% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lakeside in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 179 nights a year reach 32° or below and 9 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 17°.
How much snow does Lakeside get?
About 51 inches in a normal winter at Creston, MT, most of it in January and December, with snow on the ground about 79 days a year.
How hot does it get in Lakeside?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 51°. About 7 days a year reach 90° (Creston, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Lakeside?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 12 and the first fall frost by September 25, about 134 frost-free days, at Creston, MT.
What growing zone is Lakeside in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −11°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lakeside?
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 Lakeside getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 54% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lakeside.
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.