Hardly any U.S. towns see harsher January nights than Lakeview
Peak summer warmth arrives in July, with afternoons near 77°. Summers stay cool: July afternoons here are cooler than in 97% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with March up the most. Homes need heating from October to May, the months averaging under 50°.
A year in Lakeview at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Lakeview’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Lakeview’s place in Montana beside it.
What a year in Lakeview feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
A freeze is possible in every month
About 242 nights a year fall to 32° or below, and 50 to 0° or below. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lakeview, MT, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Lakeview’s center in zone 3b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −31°. 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 18 inches of rain a year
May is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Lakeview
Nearly all of the work is heating: a normal year has almost no cooling days. Months averaging under 55° run from September through June.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Lakeview, MT.
Living with Lakeview’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
Zone 3b, and frost can come in any month. The longest frost-free stretch in half of years is about 66 days.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: July and August. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Lakeview from natural hazards, avalanches are the largest share (41%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 7%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Lakeview and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Lakeview 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 Lakeview averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+3.4°).
A smaller shift than in 53% 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 Lakeview compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Lakeview’s place among Montana’s.
Lakeview weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Lakeview’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 26° | 5° | 1.2" | 8° – 21° |
| February | 30° | 7° | 1.3" | 11° – 25° |
| March | 39° | 16° | 1.4" | 21° – 34° |
| April | 47° | 24° | 1.8" | 30° – 41° |
| May | 58° | 32° | 2.5" | 39° – 49° |
| June | 67° | 38° | 2.4" | 46° – 59° |
| July | 77° | 44° | 1.1" | 51° – 67° |
| August | 77° | 42° | 1.0" | 54° – 63° |
| September | 66° | 35° | 1.4" | 47° – 55° |
| October | 51° | 26° | 1.7" | 30° – 45° |
| November | 36° | 15° | 1.2" | 17° – 35° |
| December | 26° | 7° | 1.3" | 11° – 22° |
| Year | 50° | 24° | 18.3" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. November swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 17° to 35°. September is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Lakeview’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 Lakeview’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lakeview, MT, 0.2 miles from the town’s center, 100 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 Lakeview’s climate
What is the weather like in Lakeview?
A typical July afternoon reaches 77°, a January night drops to 5°. Colder January nights than 98% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 97% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Lakeview in winter?
January nights average 5°. About 242 nights a year reach 32° or below and 50 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 8°.
How hot does it get in Lakeview?
July, with a typical high of 77° and a low of 44°. About 1 days a year reach 90° (Lakeview, MT).
When is the first and last frost in Lakeview?
There is no reliable frost-free season: at Lakeview, MT, every month has nights at 32° or below, about 242 a year. In half of years the longest stretch without a freeze is about 66 days.
What growing zone is Lakeview in?
Zone 3b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −31°.
What is the best time of year to visit Lakeview?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), July and August. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Lakeview getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Lakeview.
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.